Speciman Alpha
by RedKennypuppy
Summary: CHAPTER 15 HAS BEEN POSTED! What happened prior to Red XIII being discovered in the Shinra Inc. building? No one really knows, but you're about to find out. Please R&R without flames!
1. What's a Human?

Well, this is my first story, so don't hurt me okay? Please? No flames, but I would enjoy seeing a review from all of you.  
  
Disclaimer: We all know I do not own Final Fantasy VII, much less the characters. I do, however, claim ownership of all the characters I have made up. (Hoshiko, Aiden, Meena and Miara)  
  
Specimen Alpha Chapter 1: What's a Human?  
  
It started out like any other day. Nanaki always witnessed his father, Seto, waking up at the crack of dawn and heaving his heavily worked paws sleepily along the red sand of Cosmo Canyon. Seto always had a craving for knowledge of how the planet worked and everything around it, which is why every morning before Nanaki, Meena and Aiden awakened, Seto would journey to Bugenhagen's towering observatory.  
  
Nanaki was usually too tired to wonder what his father was doing and he would typically snuggle his head back between his paws and continue sleeping against his mother, Hoshiko's, warm fur...but today his curiousity was tipped.  
  
Maybe it was the fact that he was young. His youth always was the culprit for a lot of things he did wrong...what could make this time any different? If his father had a problem with his son following he'd cower and say it was an accident while simotaniously mustering the cutest puppy face. All would be fine afterward.  
  
Nanaki imagined how his situation would go in his young head as he followed his father to "grandpa's lab".  
  
The little puppy had never seen his grandpa's lab, and was filled with the youthful thirst to see, explore and observe. He wanted to see! Unfortunately, his thoughts were interrupted by a moment he had been dreading in his head. It was the moment he did not want to happen. He had only managed to follow his father just outside the den when he was caught.  
  
"Nanaki, what are you doing up?"  
  
His father's voice made his tail cower between his legs. His father was the greatest fighter among his tribe and Nanaki certainly did not want to test him out. Seto's dark eyes glared at Nanaki, they looked as cold as ice.  
  
"Father...I..." Nanaki could feel the harsh angry vibe coming from his father. "I didn't know you wanted to be alone....forgive me."  
  
"Go back to bed before Hoshiko misses you!!" Seto demanded, "You should not even be awake yet!" Seto spoke with a strong tone of contempt. A contempt that would only make Nanaki lose sight of the phrases he had imagined saying in this situation.  
  
"I just...." Nanaki could feel himself stuttering. He tried to make the words come out, but they continued to perch on the tip of his tongue, unwilling to move.  
  
Seto became impatient. He opened his mouth and roared with the power of a battle trumpet. "You just what?! Speak up Nanaki!! You better have some good reason for following me!!"  
  
Nanaki could feel himself getting smaller and smaller. He began to feel foolish..and felt his father towering over him more than usual. He looked down at the ground, as if the sand had answers written in it.  
  
"I just...uh...I...wanted..." Nanaki's usual quick wit had failed him now.  
  
Seto's breathing turned to a growl as the sun drew higher in the sky.  
  
"I just...I wanted to see..." Nanaki continued to attempt to keep himself calm and it worked up until Seto's response.  
  
"To see what?! You better get moving back to your den..and get there before I turn back around! GO BACK NOW!!" Seto's roar sent Nanaki into a panic.  
  
The little puppy began shaking and felt himself continuing to shrink in foolishness. He felt as though he was so small that he was like a drop in the pond he was standing in.  
  
Pond? Nanaki had never recalled his feet being wet ever in the Cosmo Canyon sand, and in his same youthful curiousity he gazed below his feet to find his fear of his father had bothered him a little more than he would have liked.  
  
Nanaki's red fur became even more flushed and he scurried away to the safety of Hoshiko's fur.  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
Luckily for Nanaki, none had heard nor seen his accident. Only him and Seto knew the story, and Nanaki intended to keep it that way. His biggest fear was that Miara would find out.  
  
Miara and Nanaki had been friends since they were able to walk. They had been friends for six or seven years now, and Nanaki was starting to gather a slight liking to her...in a friendly way. She was very sociable and-next to his younger sister, Meena-was the most sought after cub to hang around with.  
  
"......Nanaki!"  
  
Nanaki was abruptly interrupted in his thoughts as Bugenhagen glared at him through his tiny sunglasses.  
  
"Huh?" Nanaki responded like any other student would after waking up from a sleep, or great dream.  
  
"Yes or no." Bugenhagen asked, floating around Nanaki ominously, exactly like an interrogator for any penal system.  
  
"Uh...yes. Yes, of course." Nanaki spoke with great confidence. Typically, Bugenhagen's oral quizzings were answered with 'yes'.  
  
Bugenhagen paused for a moment. He then took a solid breath and replied, "I'm sorry Nanaki, you are incorrect. Chocobos have not doubled in population, but rather remain the same...as only humans can aid in Chocobo reproduction."  
  
Nanaki looked down mourningly. His ear curled back and he whimpered. He had just made a fool of himself in front of the whole class...much more....Miara.  
  
Nanaki gazed over at her as she giggled very loudly. He had become victim of her degrading laugh. The laugh was usually music to his ears, but this time it felt like an ice pick was stabbing his heart...relentlessly.  
  
Nanaki forced himself to remain calm during class and anxiously awaited Bugenhagen's dismissal.  
  
Once the long awaited moment came it was near sunset. Chances were high that Hoshiko would have some of the fresh meat for him and his family, and Nanaki's stomach could not wait to take it in.  
  
The little red cub scurried hurriedly to his den where he found Seto and Hoshiko both already eating. Meena was sitting awaiting her share along with his brother Aiden. It was customary that Seto and Hoshiko ate their share of meat first before the cubs.  
  
Aiden turned to Nanaki. His face read curiousity all over it, even though he was five years Nanaki's senior. "I heard you pissed a massive puddle at the site of dad today."  
  
"Yeah, so what about it?" Nanaki spat back.  
  
His brother was the Seto's favorite of the cubs, and Nanaki knew it. Aiden had been the number one cub as far as combat and knowledge went for years. Ever since he was little, Seto had always displayed a cozy fondness for him...and it partially disgusted Nanaki.  
  
Aiden snapped his head back to face Seto and closed his eyes to make himself look classy and proper. "Father says that true warriors don't wet themselves."  
  
"Maybe that's the way I fight." Nanaki glared at Aiden and stuck out his tongue.  
  
At that very moment, Seto turned to the cubs and Nanaki quickly corrected his rude gesture by starting to pant.  
  
"Nanaki, Aiden! Quit your bickering. It gets annoying really fast." Seto ordered.  
  
"Okay dad. I'll behave myself," Aiden began and continued while emphasizing his second half of his phrase, "But Nanaki has problems with that."  
  
Seto nodded and turned to Nanaki. "I know you love to cause trouble Nanaki, but I want you to stop it. I should not have to tell you what you can't do. That's a kind of phrase I would expect to hear directed at Meena, but not you. You're old enough to know better."  
  
Meena was only five years old and had not caused trouble yet. All five year olds were typical trouble makers however. It was a natural expectation.  
  
Nanaki nodded at his father however. Though he was disgusted with his ignorance he put up with it. "I'm really sorry father, it won't happen again."  
  
Seto nudged over a slice of meat over with his nose for the cubs.  
  
As the three cubs devoured their meat, Seto could not help but be amazed at how much they had grown. Meena was now about to converse with other cubs, very limited conversing, but conversing nonetheless. Aiden had become a strong cub for his age, he had the build of the Alpha Male...and Nanaki, well...he loved Nanaki.  
  
Nanaki, upon finishing his share, looked up at Seto. He had the same curious eyes Seto had been told he had. "Father?" he asked with a smile.  
  
"Yeah?" Seto responded.  
  
"What's a human?" he asked.  
  
Seto became shaken at the question. The thought that Nanaki would wish to know what a human was. Did he wish to bond with them? They were the most dispicable creatures ever to walk the Planet. Seto tried to remain calm in responding.  
  
"They're powerful warriors that live all over the Planet. If you ever should leave the canyon, you will probably be killed by a human." Seto hoped his response would frighten Nanaki enough to not pursue any further knowledge.  
  
He was successful. Nanaki sighed and looked back down to the sand. However, his mistake was saying they were warriors, for Aiden immediately sat up and his eyes sparked with curiousity.  
  
"But I could beat them. Couldn't I dad?" Aiden asked.  
  
"No," Seto replied, harshly. He continued with a condemning tone, "you couldn't Aiden."  
  
"Why not?" Aiden dared to challenge Seto's knowledge.  
  
"They are much too strong for you. They are hard fighters and relentless. They use magical powers and can conquer anything." Seto responded.  
  
"I can beat them father. I'll go out tomorrow and kill one." Aiden informed.  
  
"They are not like any other hunting game Aiden! I forbid you to leave the canyon at all! You're not even old enough to qualify to leave on the hunt."  
  
"But I'm stronger than a lot of the wusses you send out there."  
  
Nanaki felt mixed up in the quarral and rushed over to Hoshiko. Hoshiko sensed Nanaki's distress and left the den and welcomed him to accompany her. She and him walked up to the highest point of Cosmo Canyon.  
  
Hoshiko was often quiet during the day. It was like she was not allowed the right to speak...but today was one exception. It was nearly sunset by now and Nanaki could have sworn Hoshiko only spoke during the night.  
  
She turned to Nanaki.  
  
"You know," she spoke softly as she continued, "your father was exactly like you. I remember him being just as curious about the world as you are. However, now he's morphed into a replica of your brother. He's become quick to display his power. It almost frightens me."  
  
"Ma," Nanaki whimpered in empathy, "he's the Alpha Male...wouldn't that be bad if he didn't become protective? We'd be gone if he wasn't so protective...wouldn't we?"  
  
"Yes. Indeed Nanaki, we would." Hoshiko replied with confirmation.  
  
"I don't see where he's doing wrong then."  
  
"He's being wrong to keep you here Nanaki. There's an awesome Planet outside the red sands of this canyon. There are remarkable beings outside of here. You would be able to see a Chocobo and a human if only you left this canyon. You would not only just have to deal with observing them and learning about them in the books Bugenhagen has you read."  
  
Nanaki was speechless and Hoshiko continued.  
  
"My one hope is that you would be able to leave this canyon. It's beautiful, yes...but not near as beautiful as say The Gold Saucer."  
  
"What's a Gold Saucer?"  
  
"See? That's the problem, you have no idea what these things are." "Are you suggesting I leave the canyon?"  
  
"Not now Nanaki, but soon enough, you must leave. You cannot have the same knowledge your father has unless you leave. I cannot see Aiden becoming anything close to your father, though your father doesn't see that."  
  
"But Aiden's stronger." Nanaki looked down, more discouraged than encouraged.  
  
"Yes he is, but he lacks logical thinking."  
  
"He lacks more than just logical thinking." Nanaki mumbled under his breath.  
  
"Nanaki," Hoshiko now looked at him with a shunning face as she continued, "I want you to treat your brother with respect...even if he is lacking. He is still your brother, and who knows? Maybe you and him will be friends one day."  
  
"That'll be the day." Nanaki grumbled. "He wouldn't unsheath his claws to protect me."  
  
"I believe you'd be surprised." Hoshiko looked up at the sky and took note of the night. She turned to Nanaki and asked. "Shall we?"  
  
"'Shall we' what?" Nanaki replied.  
  
"Go to sleep." Hoshiko answered.  
  
Nanaki felt a yawn coming onto him and he gave up his resistance. "Yeah." He answered with a sigh.  
  
The two climbed back down to the den where they all curled up in a nice cozy comforting fur circle. Although one thing was wrong.  
  
Aiden was lying the in corner of the den, all alone. Although Nanaki had an extreme disgust for him, he could not help but wonder what his problem was. Why was he lying by himself? 


	2. An Ember in a Small Fire

Disclaimer: I don't claim ownership of Final Fantasy VII...or the characters used in this story except those characters I have made up.  
  
Here's a special thanks to Shadowhawk4 and LilAnimatedGrlN'Pink for your reviews.  
  
I hope you guys like this chapter.^.^  
  
Chapter 2: An Ember In a Small Fire  
  
Aiden stirred a little in his sleep and kicked sand into the air. Unfortunately, the closest being to Aiden was Nanaki. Nanaki inhaled the cloud of dust and sneezed himself awake. He looked around and found Seto had already left to Bugen's lab.  
  
Nanaki rolled his eyes and laid his head back down only to hear Meena whimper. Clearly, this was the awakening time for him. He would end up sneezing himself awake from Aiden and also be annoyed with Meena's consistant toddler like whining.  
  
Nanaki rolled over and awakened Meena. "Meena, what's wrong?" he asked. She had probably had a bad dream.  
  
Meena's blue eyes were dialated with fright. "Nanaki, I dream fire......gobbled up a whole forest...baby bird left... trying." She whimpered and rubbed her small head in Nanaki's chest, as if hoping to be hidden from the horrors she had seen in her dream.  
  
"Don't worry Meena. It was a bad dream. You're not a baby bird so you don't have to worry." Nanaki made a brotherly attempt to comfort. He remembered being plagued with dreams that involved fire. Aiden was never much of a comfort...and Nanaki insisted he be less like Aiden and comfort his little sister.  
  
Meena began to shudder in intense fear.  
  
"Meena," Nanaki looked down at her, "you don't have to worry. We're in a canyon. Nothing can burn here. All the vegetation is in the Sacred Forest..and that's far, far away from here...the fire trail wouldn't even touch us."  
  
Meena didn't respond. She continued to shudder and whimper.  
  
Nanaki himself did not mind her shuddering. He figured the sooner she calmed down, the sooner he could continue sleeping...if Aiden would keep his paws under control.  
  
Nanaki looked down to his chest to see if she was okay and found she had finally become calm enough to fall asleep again. She eased her head back down onto her paws and snuggled herself back up against Hoshiko.  
  
Nanaki was happy. He would finally be able to sleep again! He laid his head back down in his paws and shut his eyes.  
  
His mind must have been heavily influenced by Meena's dream because Nanaki saw what appeared to be a large lucious forest. He also saw two small blobs that resembled baby birds and a tiny ember flew from one of their mouths. From the little bird's mouth, a massive fire was ignited. The whole forest just burned down. All the animals, flowers, grass and trees burned down right away. There was definitely no mercy. Everything was destroyed.  
  
Nanaki awakened from the vicious nightmare to see Aiden awake.  
  
"Good morning Nanaki." Aiden smiled.  
  
"Good morning is an oxymoron...especially with you smiling at me." Nanaki glared at Aiden through only one eye being open, but it glared with an anger. He opened both his eyes and stood up. He shook his red coat of the sand and asked Aiden.  
  
"What do you want?"  
  
"I can't say good morning to my beloved brother?" Aiden questioned Nanaki's assumption of Aiden's amiability being a coax to get something he wanted. He had to admit it was true, but an arrogant, "high class" cub like himself was not about to admit it...especially to his little brother.  
  
Nanaki, although young, was definitely able to sense bad intentions and Aiden had certainly passed the test Nanaki had set in his mind. His remarks such a "beloved brother" and "good morning" were clear marks of passing the "evil intentions behind good words" test...Aiden was at the top of his class in the realm of passing the test. Nanaki shook his head in disgust. "What do you want Aiden?" he repeated this phrase with an irritability that only came from fatigue.  
  
Aiden smiled sinisterly. "I want you to come with me and help me find humans."  
  
"What for?" Nanaki asked, "it's not like they'd fit into our Canyon community. You heard dad. They'll kill you before you kill them."  
  
"Nanaki, you of all our kind," Aiden attempted to plant a seed of guilt in Nanaki's heart, "I figured you would be most convinced since I do happen to be stronger than many of the wusses on the hunt pack."  
  
"Aiden, you're fricken stupid!" Nanaki grumbled and laid back down against Hoshiko, curled up in her warm fur. Although his face was facing Aiden, his eyes were closed.  
  
Aiden sighed with irritability. Nanaki was smarter than he expected. Whatever happened to the ignorant cub he used to pull into trouble all the time? He then remembered an even better force to persuade Nanaki to reconsider. "If you don't come with me, I'll be Miara's buddy."  
  
Nanaki opened one eye, seemingly indifferent. "She doesn't even like you."  
  
"She will when I come back from the hunt...think of it. A cub my age accompanying the hunt pack...what female wouldn't fall for a Alpha Male-to be like me?"  
  
"I can think of one," Nanaki continued, fairly blunt, "Miara." His tail wagged in aggrevation and irritation.  
  
"Nanaki, seriously, don't you want to go and explore the outside world?" Aiden now appeared to be throwing a massive childish fit. He stomped his paws, all four of them, in a strong distaste.  
  
"Yes..but not that badly." Nanaki informed and continued, "I will be ready to be out there when I am finally granted permission."  
  
"What do you need permission for? This canyon doesn't have fences!" Aiden continued to push for Nanaki to come, and after the long exchange was finally successful in convincing Nanaki.  
  
Nanaki knew that leaving the canyon was a bad thing to do, but it was tempting. The thought of seeing something out there that he had never seen before overtook him, and he stood up and romped outside the den.  
  
"Let's go then." Nanaki smiled.  
  
He was still young and not yet accountable for his actions. In reality, the only one who would be in trouble was Aiden. In one sense, Nanaki would take Aiden's place in Seto's liking rating. What could be better? Nanaki would gain right to being the Alpha-Male, Leader of the Pack, Head Honcho and everything good that was sandwiched in there too. While on the downside, Aiden would be cast off his good pedestal and consistantly be bothered by Seto in the way to behave.  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
Nanaki and Aiden became absolutely ecstatic when they saw outside the canyon. The reacted like a bunch of children who had just seen the highest roller coaster of an amusement park. They romped all over the dusty brown ground and rolled around in it. The two cubs romped for hours upon hours. They would have romped longer, but Nanaki discovered something awkward.  
  
There was a green like substance that covered a large amount of the land left in front of them. They had escaped the canyon sands and were now surronded by a green plant that covered the ground.  
  
Nanaki leaned down and sniffed the substance cautiously. He did not gather anything more on it by sniffing...except that someone had been there.  
  
Aiden smiled and laughed. "Nanaki, that's grasp. You don't remember Bugen telling you about it?"  
  
"Grasp? No. I must have been sleeping." Nanaki asked. He vaguely remembered studying about the plant in Bugenhagen's school and was not surprised to hear the term before. He looked at Aiden for reassurance. "Isn't this plant poisonous?" he asked.  
  
Aiden shrugged and stepped on it. "I don't know," Aiden crawled into the 'grasp' so all four paws were onto top of the green blade like plants, he gazed at the horizon and then turned to Nanaki as he continued. "if it is, I'm gonna die really soon."  
  
Nanaki rolled his eyes. "That's a comforting thought." He placed one paw on the 'grasp' and shuddered at the tickling sensation he received. He jumped onto the 'grasp' and walked with his legs wide open. It did not feel natural to him, walking in the 'grasp'.  
  
After a few minutes of walking in the 'grasp', Nanaki became more accustomed and was able to walk naturally.  
  
Nanaki saw many interesting oraganisms as he walked around in the world. Hoshiko was right, it was easier to learn about the planet's population and vegetation by experiencing them firsthand. There was, however, one organism that they hadn't seen yet. That was the human.  
  
Aiden and Nanaki continued playing around in the 'grasp' until the sunlight was plaguing their fur so harshly that they had to relax. The two of them laid down in the 'grasp' and would have fallen asleep if a humming hadn't interrupted their eyes shutting.  
  
Aiden's tail flipped up in hopes to swat at the large humming bug...or what they thought was a bug. The humming began to crescendo...and Aiden whipped his tail up furiously, frustrated at the presistant bug.  
  
The wind began to pick up, and although the cool air felt nice on the little hair Nanaki and Aiden had, they saw a large spoon shaped object landing on the ground. There were two thick blades that were spinning with relentless ferocity. One was on top of the dome of the spoon, and the other-although smaller-was placed at the tail end of the spoon. The two cubs immediately would have disregarded interest for the object if it had not landed. Unfortunately for the both of them, the large spoon bladed bird did not leave.  
  
"What kind of bird is that Aiden?" Nanaki asked.  
  
"That's a helicopter Nanaki. It's the most evil bird you've ever met." Aiden answered.  
  
From the helicopter, a blue blob dismounted along with a being they had never seen before. Could it be the human?  
  
The being stood on its hind legs and stood perfectly erect. It was clothed in dark red clothing..and it's mane was blonde.  
  
"That's a human." Aiden informed Nanaki.  
  
Nanaki turned over and looked over towards the white ghostly figure.  
  
The cubs experienced a moment of exhilaration. The excitement of seeing a human was too much for them to sit still. Aiden stirred for a second and licked his lips before he turned back to Nanaki.  
  
"Let's pounce him." He suggested.  
  
Nanaki nodded. "Okay. You lead. You know more about fighting and attacking than I do."  
  
Aiden crawled low to the blades of 'grasp' and managed to find a rock to hide behind. He had a perfect moment to attack, but Nanaki jumped up and rushed over to the human. The excitement was too much for him.  
  
The human only snapped his gloved finger and the blue blob was on top of Nanaki. The blue blob was what looked to be a wolf, on steroids.  
  
Aiden sighed irritably and rushed over to the blue wolf. His claws dug into the dirt and upturned it. He tackled the blue wolf with incredible force. It was always rumored that the cubs were stronger than adults if they were worried enough, and Aiden demonstrated that ability. He pushed the wolf off of Nanaki and started his own fight with it. The wolf was at least five times bigger than Aiden himself, but he continued to fight.  
  
His unsheathed claws swung with all his fury and might and he managed to scratch the nose of the wolf...but other than that, the wolf made relentless lunges at him. He had his size to thank, for his size gave him an agility advantage over the wolf. They growled ferociously and gnashed at each other with their teeth, but nothing more than a scratch was made. Aiden made a quick look over at Nanaki to see if he had gotten up to leave, only to find Nanaki was not in any different orientation than before. He was lying on the vegetation, eyes closed...hardly breathing.  
  
Nanaki was hardly conscious by this point. The wolf had slashed him enough to where he would be a goner soon if he didn't get help.  
  
Aiden was left in a hard position. He had to fight this wolf off, but Nanaki needed help..really fast. He decided to continue fighting. Nanaki was a strong cub, he could hold out a second or two longer.  
  
The wolf slashed at Aiden and nailed his face. Aiden shut his eyes as he tried to endure the firey pain in his face. That was his mistake, the wolf tackled and pinned Aiden on the ground, and would have bitten out his voicebox if he had the opportunity. The wolf was interrupted by a thunderous roar that could only belong to one being.  
  
Seto jumped onto the wolf and tore out a chunk of its leg. The wolf continued to fight with Seto.  
  
Aiden was impressed with the wolf. It had a massive drive in it to beat the opponent, even if it was wounded. How was it able to withstand a fight with firey pain in one of its legs.  
  
Seto's claws dug furiously into the wolf's flesh and pierced it. The wolf toppled over and whimpered and scrambled away from Seto as fast as it could manage with all the wounds.  
  
Seto walked over to Aiden after the wolf disappeared from sight. He snarled in anger.  
  
"Get up!" he demanded.  
  
Aiden tried to get up, but he couldn't. He had lost all his strength. He looked at Seto. "Dad, I can't get up."  
  
Seto prooved indifferent and displayed no remorse.  
  
"Get up!" he repeated his order, louder and more forceful this time.  
  
Aiden did not protest again, but forced himself to get up. He limped over to Seto, his ears curled back in fear. He was in trouble..and he knew it.  
  
Seto opened his mouth and picked up Nanaki by the scruff of his neck and started running back to the canyon.  
  
Aiden watched him leave until he was a speck. A guilt load began to heave itself onto his back like a carpetbagger picked up his bag after swindling someone. Aiden was afraid of Seto...very afraid, and followed his footprints.  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
Nanaki was taken to the medic of the tribe and Aiden hoped Nanaki was all right. If he died, it would mean Aiden losing his good treatment from Seto.  
  
Aiden stood outside the den, debating with himself whether or not to go in and face his father, mother and sister. He trodded back and forth, fearful of his own hide being chewed up and spat out. The adreneline was still in his system from the fight with the wolf. Even though he would have been dead by now if Seto had not intervened, there was a great excitement that came with being able to fight something that was worth his strength.  
  
Seto's voice roared with anger with his command for Aiden to come into the den. This was a side of Seto Aiden had never seen, and crawled into the den with his tail between his legs and crouched as low to the ground as possible. Upon Aiden reaching the inside of the den, he found his family was not there. Only Seto was there that was from his family. He gazed up at the others and found the four other important animals of his species. All five of them sat in an arch, Seto was at the tip of the arch while the other four head "judges" sat on either side of Seto. Two to the left and two to the right. Aiden's ears curled back in fear of all the judges. It was the rumored Probation Counsel that Seto had organized to regulate his tribe's law.  
  
All five of them wore a large headress that was clothed with billions of feathers. Each one with a different headress of feathers. Seto's headress had white feathers. Of the others, one had yellow feathers, another had blue feathers, another had red and the last one had black feathers.  
  
"The punishment for Aiden will now come to order." Seto ordered.  
  
The first judge to Seto's right, Ramiro, asked, "Aiden, what is your plead?"  
  
Aiden sighed and lifted his head up confidently. "Innocent."  
  
The judging counsel all nodded solemnly.  
  
Aiden continued with his ears still curled back and his voice stammering. "Great Judge Ramiro, I believe that the age requirement for going outside into the world is obsolete. Yes, there are monsters outside, but the canyon is not fenced."  
  
The judge furthest to the right of Seto, named Cato, nodded, "I understand where you are coming from young Aiden, but I believe your defiance of the law is more a concern to us than the rule of age limit."  
  
"Seto forbid me to greet the world, when really I am the strongest cub of the whole pack. I feel cheated of practice in hunting." Aiden continued to argue.  
  
Cato started to say something, but the one with yellow feathers, Taka was his name, interrupted. "While you may have wished to take charge and practice hunting, fighting and combat, you must also take into consideration that by disobeying your father's orders you have dishonored him. Instead of making him look bad though, you made yourself look stupid."  
  
Aiden growled and his fur on his back stuck up on end. "I am not stupid."  
  
Maynard, the furtherest to Seto's left argued. "I was a warrior in the hunt Aiden, but I can assure you, in a situation such as this one, your father is the one you should respect. He had been out in the world before you and you could have fairly well died right there had he not intervened. Correct?"  
  
"I would not have." Aiden continued to argue.  
  
Maynard begged difference. "And how exactly did you receive a gash as big as the one on your face today then? A mishap in Bugenhagen's tower?"  
  
"Yes. As a matter of a fact, I did." Aiden replied.  
  
Taka argued. "I have Bugenhagen's attendance sheet right here at my feet and it says you were not in class today...and you received that scratch today..did you not?"  
  
"I did receive it today." Aiden confirmed.  
  
Seto looked at Aiden and for the first time since seeing him around the green plants, he spoke. "Aiden, I find you guilty of disobedience and sentence you, as Alpha-Male, to five years suspension from seeing the outside world. You may not see the outside world until your brother has healed. You must care for Nanaki until he is in regular condition. You endangered Nanaki in your foolish endevour, and I am truly shocked to see a rebellion from someone such as you. That is all."  
  
Aiden left the den and headed over to the medic's office where the remaining fraction of his family was watching over Nanaki.  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
Aiden felt guilt resonating from Nanaki's room at the medic's. Hoshiko was sitting close to the straw bed Nanaki lay in. Her head cradled in the hay and she sighed. Meena was in the corner, crying. She could not take the sight of Nanaki not waking up. The cub was breathing, but he was not easily recognizeable. He didn't look like the Nanaki Aiden remembered.  
  
Aiden's ears curled back and he crouched down and laid in the corner, too afraid and in awe to speak...but yet he managed a few sentences out of his mouth somehow. "Mother, I really did not intend for this to happen. I honestly thought I could take that wolf down..and the human too."  
  
Hoshiko looked at Aiden with eyes that were tortured. She had been in the medic's room and remained there. The glow of the moonlight of night was all that illuminated the room. "I cannot even believe why someone like you would do this. Did you not know that you were only a child? Seto really was protecting you from the outside world in the best interest of you."  
  
"I honestly thought I was strong enough. I'm stronger than most of the hunters."  
  
"Aiden, you believe you are so hauty. Have you not ever considered that you are only a small ember in a huge fire? An ember is only one speck in the huge flames that consume everything. You think you are the fire itself, but really you aren't. Trust your father's ideas..."  
  
"I understand now." Aiden replied pensively.  
  
"I sure hope so." Hoshiko remarked, angry.  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
Meanwhile, while Aiden was being lectured. In a nearby tower, the human in red that Aiden had attacked was talking to a small blonde haired boy.  
  
"Dark Nation took a harsh beating today. Two weird looking animals attacked him today. It was either me or Dark Nation, so I left Dark Nation. I'll be sure to buy you another one though. Don't you worry." The man in the red informed.  
  
The little blonde boy whimpered, but nodded at his father's knowledge.  
  
Well, that's it for this chapter. Be sure to read and review. Thanks to you all who have actually reviewed..both of you. I'll try to write more, but we'll see if it'll take long for me to be inspired again. Please don't flame...and thanks!!^.^ 


	3. Only Among Aiden's Shadow

Disclaimer: Well, okay, I don't own Final Fantasy VII or anything remotely close to it. I'm just a girl trying to write my best story..and while I may use Nanaki and Seto and other characters in the process, I don't claim any ownership rights to any of the characters except for the ones who are not in Final Fantasy VII...namely, the characters I created and invested my time in from my own imagination. Anyway, thanks to those of you who have reviewed chapter two and one and I hope you enjoy this chapter...and without any further adieu, Specimen Alpha Chapter 3!!  
  
Specimen Alpha  
  
Chapter 3: Only Among Aiden's Shadow  
  
Nanaki recovered after three weeks of resting. It was the longest three weeks of Aiden's life. He had never felt so guilty and worthless in all his time of being alive, and vowed he would never call Nanaki down to get into trouble with him anymore.  
  
The sun and life of spring time was now starting to wane and Nanaki could tell because all the males were walking around with their heads held high, while the females exhaustedly would haul themselves around the canyon.  
  
The school session at Bugenhagen's was coming to a close as well. Bugenhagen was going to take the summer off so he would be able to discover more incredible things and be able to tell the new spring cubs about the wonderful world around them.  
  
Nanaki sighed. He had been sitting at the top of the canyon for quite awhile now, just staring at the outside world. Would he ever get a chance to see it? He had not yet faced Seto about his disobedience and was afraid that if he didn't, Aiden would become horribly jealous...and with his new felt strength, what would stop him from hurting Nanaki again? The answer was nothing.  
  
"Why do you look so pensive?" a voice Nanaki hadn't heard since the day of Aiden and Seto's dispute now greeted his eardrums with its music.  
  
Nanaki turned around to see Miara. She had definitely changed. Her summer coat was growing, and it was a pearly white and reflected the little sunlight they received at twilight. She was radiant, and her green eyes only amplified her radiance.  
  
"Hey, nice coat." Nanaki smiled at her.  
  
Miara looked at her white fur and laughed. "I don't like it, it looks too white for me."  
  
"Too white? No, you're the only one of us who looks remotely right in the summer coat." Nanaki remarked coolly.  
  
"Well," Miara strolled over closer to Nanaki and sat down by him. "how come your summer coat hasn't grown in?" Nanaki had never grown a summer coat in all his life, he never remembered growing one. "I don't know." He replied and continued, "You don't like my red coat?"  
  
"No, I like it. It's pretty." Miara smiled and looked at him as she continued, "you're the only one of us that looks remotely right in the red coat."  
  
Nanaki looked out at the canyon and turned silent.  
  
"Is it really pretty out there?" Miara asked, interrupting Nanaki's quiet moment.  
  
Nanaki sighed and nodded. "I didn't see much of it, but it was a nice place. It's easier to relate to all the stuff Bugen teaches you by seeing it first hand."  
  
"Maybe one day we'll be able to go out there and explore." Miara looked at Nanaki.  
  
"Maybe." Nanaki nodded.  
  
Nanaki was rendered completely speechless. He had really nothing to say. He stammered over his words since him and Miara were alone at a romantic spot. It was the same spot where Seto had become bound to Hoshiko.  
  
"What's wrong Nanaki?" Miara asked, her voice only carrying a slight concern.  
  
"I don't know Miara," he turned to her and smiled sweetly.  
  
"You're acting so...serious."  
  
"I'm sorry Miara. I'm just a shy guy. You want a cub that can talk, you should go talk to Aiden...he likes you anyway." Nanaki sighed.  
  
"Does he really?" Miara asked, almost completely shocked.  
  
"I think so. He always talks to me about you. He's certainly got the strength to protect you." Nanaki nodded.  
  
"But he's stupid." Miara smiled and licked Nanaki's face.  
  
Nanaki blushed a firey red, although behind his already crimson fur, Miara could not tell whether or not he was blushing.  
  
Miara stood up and started to walk off, but haulted for a second and looked at Nanaki. "I suppose I'll see you at the festival of the fire...right?"  
  
"Festival of fire?!" Nanaki smiled. Had he really been asleep that long? He had not expected he had been asleep for that long.  
  
"Yeah. It's tomorrow."  
  
The festival of fire was the biggest festival for his tribe, second to the crowning of the Alpha Male. Unlike the Alpha Male, the festival was annual. The Alpha Male festival was only once every lifetime. Nanaki figured Aiden would eventually become subject to the festival and then he would see the biggest festival.  
  
"I suppose I will see you tomorrow. Unless Aiden and I get into trouble again." Nanaki laughed.  
  
With that, Miara walked away and down the canyon.  
  
Nanaki sighed, "Miara, you're a real tease."  
  
"And she's been teasing you all along." A voice came from behind him, and from behind the rocks came Aiden.  
  
Nanaki looked at Aiden. It was the first time the two had seen each other since before the incident.  
  
"Aiden," Nanaki smiled fragily, "you're the last cub I'd expect to see hiding behind a rock."  
  
Aiden looked down and his ears were curled. "I can't go home. I haven't been around mom or dad since you were taken to the medic. I can't face them, or you. I don't even deserve to be part of this tribe. The last thing these Sanjivs need is someone who is not willing to save their own kind when he has what he wants."  
  
"But if you had not fought that wolf, I would certainly be dead." Nanaki reassured him.  
  
"You would certainly be dead either way, but I was the one who pulled you out there...out into the outside world."  
  
"Aiden, if you're afraid that I won't ever forgive you...don't even worry about it."  
  
Aiden smiled a fragile smile. "That helps a little."  
  
Nanaki nodded and looked down on the lower canyon for Miara, but he had already lost her. Everyone but Nanaki was growing a summer coat and he could not tell where she was.  
  
"She sure is pretty." Aiden commented.  
  
"Yeah," Nanaki sighed and continued, "she walks with a radiance around her...and she doesn't even know she's so pretty."  
  
"That's the irony of female genus. They are so lovely..and they don't even know it. They won't believe it until a male tells them so." Aiden agreed.  
  
The sunset turned into night and Nanaki turned to Aiden. "I had better head off to the den. Are you going to come?"  
  
Aiden rolled his eyes. "I guess if I must."  
  
Nanaki nodded his head confidently. "Oh..you must."  
  
The two cubs then crawled down the highest point of the canyon and greeted the den.  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
Seto was a little shy of shocked at seeing Aiden alive. Shocked in a good way though. He had certainly not seen Aiden for three weeks straight and the last time he had seen Aiden then was in the Probation Counsel.  
  
Seto's tail was wagging fast and he smiled at Aiden. "Welcome home Aiden...I've really missed your smart ass remarks."  
  
Meena crawled over to Aiden and smiled. "Den!!" She jumped up and down with excitement as her little tail wagged furiously.  
  
Aiden looked at Hoshiko. Hoshiko did not say anything. She was not one to talk when there were more than just one other Sanjiv to hear her.  
  
Nanaki smiled and looked at Aiden. "I told you they miss you."  
  
Aiden smiled back. "Yeah.."  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
The morning of the Festival started out like any other day...except one difference. Seto did not get up early to go to Bugenhagen's. He still woke up at the same early time, but this time did something different. He woke up his two sons.  
  
Seto nudged Nanaki with his paw and Nanaki woke up.  
  
"What father?" Nanaki sighed in fatigue.  
  
"Get up Nanaki and follow me." Seto ordered.  
  
Aiden was already awake and wagging his tail with excitement. "So where we going dad?"  
  
Nanaki stood up and shook his coat off of all the sand. "I'm soo tired father."  
  
Seto rolled his eyes. "Nanaki, Aiden...follow me." He romped out of the den and quietly meandered around the other dens so not to wake up the other Sanjivs.  
  
The two cubs followed him.  
  
Seto led his sons to the highest point of the canyon...where Aiden had hid and where Nanaki had been licked by Miara.  
  
Nanaki showed little interest. The fatigue was the culprit this time rather than his youth.  
  
Seto looked at Nanaki and Aiden. "Boys, I figure I wouldn't get another dependable opportunity to talk to you two about the continuation of this tribe."  
  
Nanaki rolled his glazed eyes. "Father..." he groaned, "if you're going to talk about the tribe being important to an Alpha-Male, why didn't you just invite Aiden so I could catch up on some sleep?"  
  
Seto's once friendly eyes changed to that of anger. "Nanaki, I figured you would need to hear this in case Aiden died."  
  
Nanaki rolled his eyes. "He's not gonna die dad! He's stronger than me, why don't you just talk to Aiden? Keep me out of your guys's Alpha-Male business!!" The cub ranted in anger and ran away from the peak as quickly as he had come.  
  
Nanaki was not open to hearing nearly anyone talk to him. He had nearly been killed by the stupidity of his own brother and the fact that he lived mattered little. Aiden mattered more...he always did.  
  
Nanaki ran into Bugenhagen's lab, trying to find a place that was a definite garentee of privacy. He was greeted by Bugen, which was no surprise to him. The old man floated over to Nanaki and attempted to pet him.  
  
"Greetings Nanaki." he smiled.  
  
Bugenhagen reached down and tried to pet the little cub's fur. Nanaki turned his head away from Bugenhagen and he spotted a crystal tear lodged in Nanaki's brilliant yellow eyes. Nanaki sighed and begged Bugenhagen,  
  
"Please grandpa, don't tell my father."  
  
Bugenhagen smiled with a love that Nanaki hadn't seen since he talked to Hoshiko. Hoshiko displayed an unstoppable love towards Nanaki and Bugenhagen did too. Bugenhagen nodded and responded. "What would I tell him?"  
  
"That a little warrior-to-be is crying." Nanaki sniffled and continued, "or that his son is crying. Both are bad to Seto. All he cares about is war and strength."  
  
Bugen could see Nanaki was miffed and he nodded. "He seems that way...doesn't he?"  
  
"Yes...he does." Nanaki rolled his eyes, tears still falling from his eyes.  
  
"He wasn't always that way Nanaki," Bugenhagen smiled and turned to Nanaki as he continued, "he used to be just as sensitive and feeling unworthy as you are right now. He lived in a time when the tribes kept attacking the canyon."  
  
"That's still no excuse." Nanaki rolled his eyes in anger.  
  
Bugenhagen saw a frustrated fury coming from Nanaki. The cub was still really young, but yet he had a huge potential, and his fury in feeling cheated of his potential was almost frightening. "Nanaki," Bugen asked, "son, please calm down. An anger will get you nowhere except to performing limits."  
  
"I hate Seto, I hate Aiden....I hate the Sanjivs."  
  
"Nanaki, calm yourself down. You'll get yourself in trouble with an anger like that." Bugenhagen forewarned.  
  
Nanaki grumbled at Bugenhagen and swatted at his with his small but fierce paws. He nailed Bugenhagen square in the jaw. Bugenhagen spun around in the air after his blow was dealt. Upon actually getting his floating self under control, he looked at Nanaki.  
  
"Now my son, do you feel better?"  
  
Nanaki nodded, a harsh glare still holding his face. "I do grandpa.."  
  
"Now Nanaki, make sure you control your anger. Anger is a distinct characteristic that both makes and breaks you. Using your anger to persue perfection can ensure great success, but one wrongdoing out of anger can mean your own demise."  
  
"How would you know grandpa? You're just a stupid human!"  
  
"I am not!" Bugenhagen argued, "did you see that human floating when you were in the wild?"  
  
Nanaki shook his head.  
  
"There you are then." Bugenhagen prooved his point. He sighed in an elderly disgust as he took off his sunglasses to clean them with his sleeve. "The thought of even comparing me to those inferior homo-sapians is incredible," he continued while rotating to face Nanaki again, "but for a youthful mind I can see where you might mistake me for one."  
  
"You just look so much like one...and I can't help but wonder if you are one." Nanaki's old anger had finally flown the coop as he continued.  
  
"Is that what you came running into my lab for? To ask me if I was a human?" Bugenhagen knew the Sanjivs typically had other motives for coming into Bugenhagen's lab rather than to make small talk.  
  
"Well, no." Nanaki looked down. "I just ran in here to run. I can't go into the outside world again. Who knows what would come up?"  
  
Bugenhagen nodded in mute agreement. The small fry did have quite a mind. Bugenhagen smiled an elderly smile. "Nanaki, you make me wonder if you an Aiden were ever in the womb together at one point."  
  
"Are you suggesting we might be twins grandpa?" Nanaki asked.  
  
"Yes, but I know the two of you aren't. You two share fairly similar qualities that twins share...so I just wonder sometimes."  
  
Nanaki shook his head. "He's five years older than me grandpa. We're not twins."  
  
"I know." Bugenhagen nodded.  
  
Nanaki sighed a little childish sigh and turned to the door. "I'm sorry for disturbing you grandpa. I'll be on my way out."  
  
Bugenhagen shook his head. "Nonsense...stay awhile Nanaki." He insisted and motioned to Nanaki to follow him with his sleeve.  
  
"Can I help you with anything?" Nanaki asked.  
  
"Well, there is a small favor." Bugenhagen smiled with a twinkle in his eye. He turned back around to Nanaki and replied, "I would like to have one of the frogs from the Sacred Forest. I have a special way you can get there without crossing through the outside world. You would only have to find a frog and catch it for me. It is rumored that the frogs from the Sacred Forest have an oil that can revive the sick."  
  
Nanaki's eyes glowed with wonder. "You want me to catch a frog?"  
  
"Yes, a frog from the Sacred Forest."  
  
Nanaki smiled, "Don't worry grandpa. I'll get you that frog..and still have time to be back and ready for the festival of fire." The cub stood up on all fours heroically.  
  
Bugen could not help but chuckle. The little cub was so silly and youthfully cocky that it would make any elder laugh at some of the obsurdities he remarked, but he nodded. "Go get that frog then!!"  
  
In a flash, Nanaki dashed off in hopes to find this amazing frog. Finding this wonderful frog would put him up to an equal with Aiden, and he would be able to feel himself being his own Sanjiv, and not simply Aiden's younger brat brother. He would emerge from the shadow of his brother and become a more notorious cub. Nothing could be better than that.  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
Well guys, that's it. I was thinking of continuing it more, but the whole Sacred Forest incident would only cause me to exceed the maximum amount of space, so I'll comprimise and you'll have to wait until the next chapter comes out. Oh, and the word "Sanjiv" in here is Indian for "Long life" and so that's what I decided to call Nanaki's species. If you have a problem, too bad...I'm the writer. ^.^ Also, synergy2, I hope you are more clear on Bugenhagen's presense now. I never really pictured Bugenhagen as a human since he floated and he didn't have any hands. I hope this chapter cleared that foggy barrier. Anyway, until next time! Review now!! ^.^ (without flames preferably) 


	4. Hell Hath No Fury

Disclaimer: Who would need to own Final Fantasy VII when you can own the characters you create? I wish I owned Final Fantasy VII, but I don't and I'll just have to deal with that reality on my own. Anyway, I don't own Final Fantasy VII, so if you're someone with Square Enix...please don't hurt me..I'm too poor to be sued...and I give Square Enix all rights to the characters and places that are from the game Final Fantasy VII, but if you steal any of the characters of mine...a girl like me will come back and sue you. Thank you to all my reviewers and enjoy Specimen Alpha, chapter 4!!  
  
Chapter 4: Hell Hath No Fury  
  
Nanaki scurried to Miara's den. He was greeted by Maynard. The great warrior judge of the Probation Counsel.  
  
Nanaki crouched down and his ears curled back at the sight of the majestic looking elder. His paws were as large as Nanaki's body was and his claws were an ivory white and sharpened to a coarse point. His headress was covered in millions of feathers and Nanaki felt pitiful in his presense since he had only acquired one feather in his tiny headress...and the one feather he had acquired was only because he had caught a sparrow and performed a charitable act by giving it to Miara. In a sense, the feather in his headress was only there because they needed to put something on his head to hold his long brown mane hair back.  
  
Maynard gazed down at Nanaki. "Yes, Nanaki?"  
  
"Is...is Miara around?" Nanaki stuttered.  
  
"Yes, but before I let you talk to her...I must grill you."  
  
'Why do I have to be grilled? I'm not gonna bond with her. Even so, someone like me being a Seto's son wouldn't her being my significant other make your family a higher hierarchy?' Nanaki grumbled at his own thoughts, but nodded in complience.  
  
"You and Aiden both disobeyed your father...you know that right?"  
  
"Yessir." Nanaki nodded, "I know I did. I suffered for my misconduct though."  
  
"Yes, you definitely did." Maynard smiled and turned to the den and motioned with his nose to his sigficant other and next to her laid Miara. "You better not get my daughter in trouble...or so help me, Nanaki, I will show you the reason why I have all these feathers in my headress." Maynard left the den with an arrogant walk that looked like Aiden's old walk.  
  
Miara looked up and smiled. "Hey Nanaki." She stretched her front limbs sleepily. Nanaki could see her claws had been sharpened as well. Maynard did a nice job of sharpening his daughter's claws, but it did not frighten him.  
  
"Hey Miara," Nanaki smiled a crooked smile and continued, "you wanna play?"  
  
"Nanaki," Miara sighed and looked at him, "I don't know. It really all depends on where we're going."  
  
"Going? Who said anything about going? I was just asking you wanted to play, nothing more."  
  
"Nanaki, don't get mad at me. I'm just not feeling well...at all." Miara spoke apologetically soft.  
  
Nanaki recalled what Bugenhagen had said about the mystical frog and he replied happily. "You're sick? That's all the more reason to come."  
  
Miara's mom woke up. "Why does she need to move around when she's sick?"  
  
Nanaki smiled and lied, "Because I've got a cure in my den. I can give her something to make her feel better."  
  
Miara's mother, Doeg, looked at Miara and then back at Nanaki. "Miara, you have my permission to go with Nanaki. So's long as you returning before the Festival of Fire."  
  
Miara stood up on all her fours and shook the dust of the canyon's den off her fur. She turned to Nanaki and heaved herself to follow him.  
  
Nanaki led her to Bugenhagen's lab.  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
Miara rested in Bugen's lab for an hour. Bugen immediately injected her with a remedy for what he labelled as heat exhaustion. Miara was up and around after an hour's rest.  
  
Nanaki turned to Bugen. "Grandpa, may I take her to the Sacred Forest with me?"  
  
Bugenhagen's eyes narrowed and he looked at the now hyper cub. "Well, you can..but you would have to make sure to catch that frog quickly. The Sacred Forest is an oven and anyone can get heat exhaustion. I recommend you take extreme caution when you're working with this cub. If you get her in trouble, Maynard will make sure you pay for it."  
  
Nanaki gulped and turned to Miara and smiled a nervous smile. He turned to Bugen again as he spoke. "I'll make sure she gets back. What time does the Festival of Fire start?"  
  
"I believe it starts at sunset...which the time of that varies...so make sure you're out of the forest by late afternoon."  
  
"Okay." Nanaki smiled and turned to Miara. "Come on Miara! I'm gonna go to the Sacred Forest!"  
  
Miara's eyes glowed with wonder as Nanaki said the words "Sacred Forest". Maynard would never let her go anywhere except around the den. The fact of her going to the Sacred Forest to her was an honor and she knew Nanaki would protect her from harm if she got in its way. Yet there was something strange about it, why did Nanaki lie about going to the forest?  
  
Bugenhagen grabbed a piece of paper and wrote something on it and gave it to Nanaki. "Take this to the two guards at the peak of the canyon and it should give you two permission to continue with no trouble."  
  
Miara overheard and looked at Nanaki, "Permission?" she asked. She was hardly impressed with Nanaki now. Why did they need permission to cross the guard?  
  
Nanaki smiled, partially embarrassed, but he tried to carry a self assured tone. "Miara, we're young. We've gotta have an elder's permission to go."  
  
Miara sighed, but followed Nanaki anyway.  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
The two cubs romped over to the guards at the edge of the canyon. The guards were typically the two biggest, roughest, and rudest Sanjiv males around the canyon.  
  
The two of them looked the same. Their feet clothed with fancy Sanjiv braces and their manes were long and matted. Their facial features were very coarse and their head looked so square that they were almost box shaped.  
  
Nanaki looked at Miara and Miara looked back at him. Her teasing side took over and she rubbed her face on Nanaki's neck. "You think you'll ever look as strong as them?" she asked.  
  
Nanaki thought for a second and paused. He looked at the muscles that enhanced the limps of the guards and nodded confidently. "If Aiden and I fight enough I think I could eventually get to a point where I'm that strong."  
  
Nanaki began to creep across the sand and was stopped by the gruff guards.  
  
"Go back to your mother cubs..."one of the guards lifted up his front leg as if to swat the two tiny babes down.  
  
"You lay one paw on me sir and I will make sure you go home with your tail between your legs." Nanaki smarted back.  
  
The second guard laughed. "Listen to the child, who does he think he is?"  
  
"I am Nanaki, son of Alpha-Male, Seto...and I come on special orders from the great teacher Bugenhagen." Nanaki proclaimed.  
  
The faces of the guards changed from humor to solemness. "Who's your other?"  
  
"This is-" Nanaki started, but was interrupted as Miara stepped foreward and proclaimed her own identity.  
  
"I am Miara, daughter of-" Miara was cut off but one of the guards smacking her down with his massive paw.  
  
"You shall only speak when spoken to, bitch!" the guard snarled and he turned to Nanaki, "what news does Bugen have for us today?"  
  
Nanaki displayed the note that Bugen had written by placing it on the ground for both guards to observe.  
  
The guards looked at the note and read it carefully. It read:  
  
To the Guards,  
  
Please let these two Sanjivs through to the peak of the Canyon without any trouble. I have sent them out to collect natural samples from the Sacred Forest and wish for them to be back in time for the Festival of Fire. Please let them pass.  
  
~Bugen  
  
The guards looked back to Nanaki and smiled. "Go ahead."  
  
They parted their large muscle ridden bodies and Nanaki scampered through, almost alone. He turned and called for Miara and upon regaining her footing, she walked cautiously past the two guards and over to Nanaki.  
  
The two cubs continued scampering around the sands of the canyon and headed up to the vegetation. There was no grasp for Nanaki to worry about, but there were billions of thick trees as the green vegetation began to thicken. Miara became a little frightened at the closeness of the green vegetation. The fur on the back of her spine was beginning to stand on end, creating a white stripe on her back. A grasshopper jumped from one leaf and right in front of her and Nanaki watched her hiss. She let out a loud hiss at it and swung at the bug in fear.  
  
Nanaki laughed. "Miara, it's okay. The only animals you should be afraid of is the humans and wolves."  
  
Miara looked at Nanaki and sighed. "They're all monsters to me."  
  
Nanaki shook his head and scampered through the brush. Miara followed close behind, slightly frightened. Another grasshopper jumped at Miara and she began to whimper. Nanaki turned to her and smiled.  
  
"It's okay Miara," he spoke gently and soothingly, "I'll make sure no creature comes out and hurts you."  
  
Miara became calm upon hearing Nanaki's response to her. He was so sweet when he wasn't under pressure, and that was how she liked to see him.  
  
The two cubs came across a log and crawled across it with stealth. Upon reaching the other end of the log, they found a massive pink flower.  
  
Miara grinned and scamped over to sniff the flower. Right as she stuck her nose into it to smell it, Nanaki noticed a slight movement from the flower. He watched closely, figuring it was only the wind. He was wrong.  
  
The flower snapped down on Miara's head.  
  
Nanaki jumped at the flower and slashed at it with his now unsheathed claws. It's grip on Miara's head was strong, but Nanaki did not give up and clamped onto the flower. It had a disgusting taste, but the flower loosened it's grip. Nanaki brought his teeth out of the flower and pryed the flower open so Miara could reel her head out.  
  
The flower spat at Nanaki and Nanaki growled at it. He turned to Miara and ordered. "Get back!"  
  
Miara stepped back far.  
  
The flower clamped down on Nanaki's paw, but Nanaki scratched the insides of its "mouth". Nanaki's paw was freed from the grasp of the flower and the beautious flower let out a gross hiss.  
  
Nanaki limped back over to Miara. His conflict with the flower was done. Miara was lying comfortably underneath a willow tree and trying to keep herself breathing. Nanaki laid himself down next to her. "Can I see your face?" he asked.  
  
Miara turned around and smiled. Her green eyes were still in tact. Her face was perfectly fine except for three scratches on her lower jaw from the flower's teeth.  
  
"No more sniffing flowers...okay?" Nanaki asked.  
  
"Okay." Miara agreed.  
  
Nanaki took a breath. "You scared me." He licked her cheek and continued. "I thought you were a goner."  
  
Miara laughed. "Me? A goner? The two don't go in the same sentence."  
  
"Yeah. I fought that flower as if you would die any second. You gotta be careful. Your father said it would be my head if anything bad happened to you."  
  
Miara turned to Nanaki, partially angry, "So that's it, is it? You only saved me because my poppy said you'd be in trouble if anything happened?"  
  
Nanaki shook his head vigorously. "No! No! I didn't mean that at all!!"  
  
Miara sighed and looked up at Nanaki. "Honest?"  
  
"Honest." Nanaki nodded.  
  
Miara sighed irritably. She didn't believe him. He was not as genuine as she had believed him to be, what a waste of luck! Why did she even come with him. She should have seen right through him.  
  
Lucky for her, a frog leaped past the two of them. She lept at the opportunity to get away from Nanaki. She ran after the frog and Nanaki followed her.  
  
Nanaki cut her off and tried to grab the frog and it slipped out of his hand. The two Sanjivs just continued running after it.  
  
Nanaki just remembered running and running, only keeping his yellow eyes on the frog leaping in front of him. He eventually did begin to notice one thing though, the vegetation was beginning to thin out.  
  
The brush to the forest disappeared and all Nanaki saw was a little boy about six years old was standing in front of him, the frog in his hand.  
  
Miara jumped out of the brush only a split second after Nanaki and stared in horror as the bipedal creature began to run back to a bigger bipedal creature.  
  
The bigger bipedal creature looked vaguely familiar to Nanaki. He had blonde hair and a blonde mustasche to match it. He looked down at Nanaki and smiled a sinister looking smile. "Good morning young cub. I was going to go looking for you, but I guess I don't have to now that I've found you."  
  
He leaned down to pet Nanaki, but Nanaki growled and bit the hand of the human. Nanaki figured out that the human tasted the same. He even had his own personal helicopter.  
  
Helicopter?  
  
At that moment, the little blonde boy came at Nanaki and Miara with a huge long rope.  
  
Nanaki turned to Miara. "Miara, get out of here! I'll catch up! Head back to the canyon!"  
  
Miara nodded and jumped back into the bushes.  
  
The two humans's eyes, both the big one and the small one, expanded in wonder.  
  
"It..talks?" the bigger human asked. He turned to the little human and ordered, "Rufus! Give the dog his frog. We'll need to worry about this later! I've got an appointment with Professor Gast and Dr. Hojo."  
  
The little blonde human rushed over to the helicopter, put the huge rope down and picked up a box, where he had put the frog. He rushed back over to where Nanaki was and placed the box at the feet of the Sanjiv cub. "Next time," the child grumbled, "you won't be so lucky. You took away Dark Nation Senior..and I'm gonna make sure you pay."  
  
Nanaki was taken aback by the young human. Nanaki did not remember any "Dark Nation Senior"...unless...was it the blue wolf that Aiden had attacked and fought and ultimately ended up having Seto finish off?  
  
It all connected in Nanaki's mind. The big human was the man in the red suit and he had his pet, Dark Nation. The pet was the big blue wolf on steroids...Dark Nation. It all fit together!  
  
Nanaki growled at the big human again and grumbled "Dark Nation?! I didn't touch Dark Nation! If anything he touched me...and nearly killed me! I shouldn't be having to pay for it! You should!"  
  
The big blonde human looked at Nanaki. "Have you no idea who I am, stupid dog?"  
  
"That's correct." Nanaki nodded.  
  
"I am Walter Shinra. President of Shinra Inc. in Midgar. I run this world pretty much! You have no idea just who you are threatening here! Any battle you start with me will only end in tears...and tears on your part..not mine!"  
  
Nanaki lunged for the little brat that Mr. Shinra called "Rufus" and managed to bite him pretty badly. Unfortunately for him, he missed his neck and only bit his shoulder.  
  
Rufus began crying and Nanaki knew well enough to run from the scene after that.  
  
He picked up the box handle with his mouth and ran back into the brush. He howled in order to signal Miara that he was coming back into the brush. He ran through the way he came and heard human footsteps behind him. Walter was following him for only a few minutes and when Nanaki noticed the brush thinning out he saw Miara again.  
  
Nanaki hurriedly rushed back down the ledge of the canyon sand and rushed down past the guards of Cosmo Canyon. Miara was not far behind him and then the big human followed.  
  
At once, the gigantic guards to Cosmo Canyon lunged at President Shinra and pinned him to the ground. Mr. Shinra surrendered his search to get ahold of Nanaki and he dusted himself off and walked back up the Canyon's ledge to get to the Sacred Forest.  
  
Nanaki put the box down and sighed. "Glad he's gone."  
  
Miara and him walked back down to Bugenhagen's observatory and found Bugenhagen waiting patiently. Miara was still slightly miffed at Nanaki for what he had said earlier in the forest. She walked up to Bugenhagen with her head hanging low.  
  
Bugen saw this and asked that Nanaki leave. Nanaki laid down the box with the frog and bowed his head and walked out of Bugenhagen's observatory. Upon Nanaki leaving, Bugenhagen turned back to Miara.  
  
"Come now young Miara," he stated in a empathetic tone, "why are you so glum?"  
  
Miara grumbled and shook her head. "Nanaki doesn't care about me anymore. He only took care of me while we were on that mission because my father threatened him."  
  
"Now now...let's not assume the worst." Bugen warned. "Your father did threaten Nanaki and Nanaki acknowledged his threat and did everything in his power to keep you from harm."  
  
"That's the thing," Miara raised her voice in sadness, "he only did that because of my father. Not because he cared for me or anything."  
  
"Miara. Nanaki is only seven. One can only expect that he will act immaturely. He has not even matured yet...why do you worry about him liking you if he's not mature? It would only be puppy love." Bugenhagen made a good point.  
  
Miara rolled her emrald eyes and sighed. "I want to have another pup in my life rather than my father. I am sick of my father. He treats me like I'm a treasure."  
  
"In some sense, you are a treasure to him. You will not be able to comprehend his feelings-your father's that is-for you until you yourself are a parent to a few cubs." Bugenhagen argued.  
  
Miara sighed again, now irritated, and wagged her tail as if she were wanting to swat something.  
  
"Miara, I'm afraid your irritation with wisdom will never open Nanaki up in any chance with you." Bugenhagen forewarned.  
  
"The hell do you know...old fogey!" Miara snapped back.  
  
"Honestly Miara, you best calm down. Nanaki won't allow you to get any closer to him if you act in the way you're acting right now." Bugenhagen stated, quietly. He then removed his sunglasses and wiped them with his long purple sleeve. He looked at Miara with an elderly twinkle in his eye. "I am his grandfather, y'know. I know my grandchildren."  
  
"You're a human! You're not even remotely remsembling to Nanaki's parents."  
  
"That is off the topic." Bugen refereed as though he were in an actual debate competetion. He sighed and put the sunglasses back in front of his eyes and continued. "Talking with you Miara is like casting pearls before swine. It's so highly beyond your knowledge that you just wouldn't understand...one day I can say you will understand, but for now, you are a mere child..and I guess I should remember that."  
  
Miara's fur stood up on end. She was furious. How dare he insult her! She was smart enough to understand what her was saying, she was just listening rather than replying. Was that such a horrible concept for Bugenhagen, the rumored "knower-of-all"? She stormed out of Bugenhagen's observatory worse off than she was before. She needed to get back at Nanaki, and get him good.  
  
Bugenhagen was slightly frightened by the angry fury she displayed and figured she would eventually get it out, but he was afraid as to how she would. With little time after her leaving, he floated out of the entrance to his observatory and searched for Seto.  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
Seto was lying in his den next to Hoshiko. The two had become totally exhausted from taking care of the two male cubs they had produced. Thankfully, Aiden had finally woken up to what he was doing wrong and he had tried to correct himself. Nanaki, on the other hand, was simply getting worse. His behavior was wearing the two parents out and typically, Nanaki and Aiden were both opposites..which induced more work for the two.  
  
It was during the couple's relieving rest that Bugenhagen burst in.  
  
"Seto!" he ordered with urgency as if Nanaki's life itself was at stake. "Get up, I must speak with you!"  
  
Seto opened one eye and glared as he replied. "Can't it wait til later Bugen? It's rare that I get the opportunity to sleep."  
  
"This is not a matter that can wait! Nanaki's life is possibly in danger." Bugenhagen replied.  
  
Seto heaved his body up onto all fours and walked over to Bugenhagen and the two exited the den solemnly.  
  
They did not speak until reaching the peek of the Canyon.  
  
"What is it Bugen?" Seto asked, slightly irritated, but still holding respect in order.  
  
"Miara is full of the same fury Maynard possessed back in yours and Hoshiko's cub-ish days." Bugen replied with no change in his voice.  
  
"Miara? I doubt she'd even kill a fly. Who's she plotting against?" Seto asked, slightly intrigued.  
  
"She's wanting to kill Nanaki." Bugen continued.  
  
"Nanaki? I figured she would more want to kill Aiden, why Nanaki?!" Seto asked.  
  
"Nanaki and Miara went on a mission for me to the Sacred Forest.."  
  
Here, Bugen was interrupted.  
  
"SACRED FOREST?!" Seto's eyes flared up with disgust.  
  
"Listen to the story. You can lecture me later." Bugen insisted he get the word out as soon as possible.  
  
Seto slumped and shut his mouth while sitting to hear Bugen out before lecture.  
  
Bugen continued with the same urgency, "During their mission, they got into a squabble with a venomous flower. Nanaki protected Miara and Miara thought it was an act of chivalry, I suppose."  
  
Seto shook his head in disbelief while Bugen continued.  
  
"Miara became angry with Nanaki when she found out that Maynard had told Nanaki to protect her from harm. She figured the only reason why he did what he did was because her father said so."  
  
Seto finished, "So she is wanting to hurt Nanaki because she thinks he doesn't like her?"  
  
Bugen nodded. "Indeed."  
  
Seto sighed and looked at Bugen with worry in his eyes, "I'll keep a close eye on Nanaki. He has not returned to the den yet, but tonight I'll make sure Aiden and I are around him at all times."  
  
"He will not bothered tonight I'm sure." Bugen assured Seto.  
  
"No," Seto disagreed and turned to the sun as it set, "if Miara has the anger of her father, Maynard, she will attack tonight..and everytime they are around each other after that."  
  
"Honestly though Seto," Bugenhagen asked, "do you think Maynard would go after a little cub like Nanaki on a Festival like tonight?"  
  
Seto turned back to Bugen, "Bugen," he stated solemnly, "criminals are lazy. They will not hire mercenaries or killers to kill what they can kill themselves."  
  
Bugenhagen was silent and turned to Seto. "I will notify the medic to keep his place open."  
  
Bugenhagen floated away and Seto looked at the sunset and howled. Where was Nanaki? Why was he not back? Could he have already been dead and Seto not know about it? Quite possibly, and Seto was only more frightened as time droaned on.  
  
At that moment, Aiden scampered up to Seto and sat by his side.  
  
"What's wrong dad?" he asked casually.  
  
Seto didn't reply, but turned to Aiden and ordered. "Get ready for the Festival. We've got a job on our paws."  
  
Aiden was clueless, but obeyed the orders anyway. The Festival of Fire was upon them and they had to be prepared for the ceremony.  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
The night was quiet and all the Sanjivs heard was the cackling of the Cosmo Bon Fire. They were all quiet. Even all the cubs who were usually the culprits for the life of the festival.  
  
Perhaps it was the negative energy coming from Maynard and Miara as well as Seto. All continued to be still until one cub could not take the silence anymore. This cub was Meena.  
  
"Planet great!" she expressed herself to the best of her ability, but all had to agree with her. She may have not sounded smart, but it wasn't expected for her to be smart. She was only a few years old and still learning how to converse.  
  
Hoshiko smiled lovingly at her daughter.  
  
Miara grumbled and looked at Nanaki with her green eyes flaring in anger.  
  
Aiden saw this and turned to Nanaki. "Keep your eyes peeled." He warned.  
  
Seto stood up and walked away from Nanaki's side. He walked over to the left "tip" of the circle surronding the Bon Fire. He began to speak and spoke with caution.  
  
"As my youngest cub has professed, the Planet has been good to us." Seto informed, "we have had little to no conflicts with our outside neighbors...the humans. The only known conflict was resolved and in no way revealed out Canyon to them. The sun has given us a warm spring and now it's time to burn all our troubles away in a glorious festival. We are here to have fun and enjoy ourselves to the best of our ability. This is a time where war has never interrupted as well as conflicts amongst ourselves...so let's not have that ruin us now. Let's have a good time and enjoy ourselves." Seto stated with happiness.  
  
Almost immediately all the cubs went wild with excitement, and Nanaki and Aiden both decided to go and hang around with another female cub. The only other female cub around aside from Meena and Miara.  
  
She was staring at a yellow ball on the ground and Nanaki looked at her.  
  
"Good evening young bitch." Aiden stated.  
  
Big mistake right there. The already fragile female was more fragile now.  
  
Nanaki corrected Aiden to the female. "I'm sorry, my brother means to say 'Good evening beautiful female.'"  
  
The female turned to face Nanaki. "Good evening young Sanjiv...and Alpha Male to be." She replied.  
  
"Oh. You're smart." Aiden smirked.  
  
Nanaki turned to Aiden and stated. "Lie down before you hurt yourself Aiden. Go talk to Miara or something."  
  
Aiden nodded and headed off.  
  
The female Sanjiv turned to Nanaki. "You're a strange Sanjiv; completely the opposite of your brother and sister."  
  
"You know my sister?" Nanaki stammered.  
  
"I know your sister. I assist your mother in the den, taking care of her." She replied.  
  
In the distance, Miara glared at Nanaki's interaction with the other Sanjiv female. Aiden only interrupted her horrible plottings of death in her head.  
  
"Good evening Miara." He stated.  
  
Miara rolled her eyes. The stupid male, she thought, what kind prank is he trying to pull? She put on a happy face, however, simply because she was slightly entertained by how incredibly stupid he was.  
  
"Good evening Aiden." She bowed her head as if she were practicing reverence to his soon to be position early on. Miara smiled as an idea popped into her head.  
  
"Say Aiden," she called his attention with her voice.  
  
"Yes?" Aiden responded right away.  
  
"Would you do anything for me?"  
  
Aiden nodded. "I would."  
  
Miara smiled and rubbed her head in his pearly white chest. "Would you please mess up Nanaki?"  
  
"Mess him up?" Aiden asked.  
  
'He is stupid,' Miara concluded and clarified anyway. She knew her patience with Aiden would reward her in the end.  
  
"Mess up as in beat him up to the point of where he doesn't breath."  
  
Aiden was caught. Either he would get in trouble with Seto temporarily again or get in trouble with Miara. He nodded and turned to Nanaki talking to the other female. 'Nanaki will forgive me.' He thought and started for Nanaki.  
  
Miara smiled. At least he wasn't so dumb that he said no, she thought, but it does really stink that he'll never have a good place in my father's heart if he does this.  
  
Meanwhile, Nanaki had come to find out the new female he had met was named Nipala. 'What a lovely name!' Nanaki thought. It was a name that just flowed easily off the tongue.  
  
"Nipala eh?" Nanaki smiled and continued, "that's-"  
  
He would have spoken more if he had not been trampled. He met the dusty sand and hard ground with full force. He summoned what strength he had in him and hurled the opponent off of him. He turned to see it was Aiden and he became enraged with fury he had had before today...the same fury that was rooted to his disgust of him.  
  
"Aiden! What the hell are you doing?!" Nanaki asked and Aiden jumped onto Nanaki and the two cubs began a fight.  
  
Aiden yanked the feather from Nanaki's headress out and bit his ear in the process. Nanaki, in return, rolled Aiden over into an arm of the enormous Cosmo Bon Fire. Aiden let out a yelp and kicked Nanaki off of him.  
  
Nanaki and Aiden lay opposite each other, both wheezing for air. Aiden rolled himself over and continued fighting.  
  
"Aiden, what's up with you?" Nanaki asked.  
  
"Nothing! I'm a warrior! I can beat you!" Aiden jumped onto Nanaki again and the two began exchanging blows.  
  
None had noticed their fighting until this point. Sadly, they had noticed when the fight was getting too brutal. Nanaki had been scratched all over and Aiden had quite a few teeth marks in his fur.  
  
Maynard was the first to see the conflict going on, but he figured the cubs were simply play fighting and did not feel the need to stop them until he saw Seto and Hoshiko both run for their cubs.  
  
Seto got to the brawl before Hoshiko, and forced his way into the middle of the fight. He ordered with a thunderous voice. "Break it up! Break it-"  
  
At that moment, Aiden's jaw launched for Nanaki and Seto was blocking him well enough to the point where Seto's chest received a clenching bite.  
  
Seto smacked Aiden off of him.  
  
Aiden flew into the ground and skidded across the sand for about three or four feet on his side. It burned his side more than he had already initially had it burned from his squabble.  
  
Seto looked disgustedly at his two cubs and walked away from them. Hoshiko stepped over to where Nanaki was and sighed in disgust as well. She, often times, seconded any disciplinary motions Seto had displayed.  
  
The Festival ended right then. At that point Seto ordered the Sanjivs go to their dens and retire.  
  
Nanaki hobbled over to Aiden and sniffed him, hoping he would feel better. Aiden felt his breathing and held his head up enough to where he could bite Nanaki one last time. Nanaki hobbled away as fast as he could.  
  
Upon everyone leaving the presense of the flame, Seto walked over to Aiden and ordered. "Come with me!"  
  
Aiden didn't move.  
  
Seto grumbled, "Aiden, I am not going to withstand your defiance!"  
  
Aiden did not budge.  
  
Seto grabbed Aiden by the scruff of his neck and carried him to Bugenhagen's. He dropped Aiden down on the floor of the observatory and asked Bugen if he had any of the "silencer" equipment.  
  
Bugen nodded and pulled out a muzzle, a collar and a chain that was made of a metal briar. Seto ordered that the muzzle be put on Aiden.  
  
Bugen was hesitant. "He's your son!"  
  
Seto sighed and grumbled. "I know that! Do it!"  
  
Bugen obeyed and muzzled Aiden's face.  
  
Seto turned to Aiden and spoke. "I know you can hear me. I tried to keep it from coming to this point, but you leave me no choice." He turned back to Bugen and stated solemnly. "Put the collar on his neck along with the metal chain."  
  
Bugen obeyed.  
  
There was no more remorse in Seto for Aiden. He had to separate his feelings from disciplinary requirements...and that was what he had to continue doing. It started at this point!  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
Well guys...that's it! Sorry it may seem a little long, but it would have been longer if it were integrated into chapter 3. To those of you who have come across Frank Verderosa's Final Fantasy VII stories, Nipala was used with permission of Frank. (I have the email to proove it) Anyway, since you sitting here reading this you could also review...^.^...since none of you reviewed for chapter 3...-.-..so GO! 


	5. Anger Like Her Father

Disclaimer: I don't own FF7. Nipala is used with permission from Frank. All other random characters are mine!  
  
Chapter 5: Anger Like Her Father  
  
The high noon sun was not a comfortable feeling to Aiden. He was sitting in the middle of the canyon, chained to a metal pole. He was subject to public disgrace...and for what? Miara.  
  
Miara happened to stroll up to him while no one was there and looked at him smiling a big smile. "Good afternoon Aiden."  
  
Aiden growled. He couldn't even speak. It was customarily unacceptable. If a Sanjiv was subjected to public humiliation, they could not speak until their time of humiliation was overwith.  
  
"My, you certainly got yourself into trouble here didn't you?" Miara walked around Aiden, not threatened by him at all.  
  
Aiden continued to growl. This female had some nerve coming around him and talking to him about being in trouble when it was originally her doing! She had entranced him with her friendly face and turned it around by getting him in trouble for being a mercenary. He had two burns on his front right leg and now Seto had completely lost all love for him. What kind of weird chick would do something like that?  
  
She would. Leave it to Miara to lure Aiden into something stupid like this.  
  
"There's no sense in growling. You can't hurt me." Miara rolled her eyes and turned to make direct eye contact with Aiden.  
  
"Because you know," Miara continued, "if daddy hears you hurt me, you could be killed."  
  
Aiden blinked, still growling.  
  
"So what're you gonna do...punk?" Miara asked, confidently sticking her face only an inch away from Aiden's in her verbal assault.  
  
It was here where Aiden had seen her pull the last straw and he opened his mouth to bite her. The muzzle covered his mouth, but he still tried to bite. He made noises and swung at Miara.  
  
A direct hit. Aiden's claws gashed four parellel lines across her face. Her white innocent coat turned a shade of red quickly and it made her face look like Christmas, or at least what he remembered the colors of the human's holiday being. Her green eyes with the blood of her coat simply made her look festive.  
  
Miara whimpered and growled, "You made a big mistake Aiden."  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
Aiden looked Seto with a sorry look. This was his second time in front of the Probation Counsel, however, this time Nanaki also was next to him. Nanaki wasn't restrained in any way, but he looked as if he would be bothered just having to stand in front of Taka, Maynard, Cato, Ramiro and Seto.  
  
Nanaki shook in fear as Seto called the Counsel to order. "The Probation Counsel will now come to order." Seto stated with his loud thunderous voice.  
  
Seto then turned to Maynard. "Maynard, where is your daughter? She went to the Sacred Forest as well."  
  
Maynard grunted, "My daughter was lured into the Sacred forest by the little non-muzzled raffian who stands before us! She is not at fault in any way!"  
  
"But Aiden spoke to her before he attacked me." Nanaki informed.  
  
Maynard took up his paw and slapped Nanaki's face. "Are you saying my daughter would disrupt the peace?! She would never do such a thing! She was in the den sleeping as the fight was going on! You may only speak when spoken to, Nanaki."  
  
Seto butted in at this point. "Now Maynard, I ask that Miara be brought here..as she was around my sons during the day and night yesterday."  
  
"Forgive me for being defiant your greatness, but I am disinclined to acquiest your request." Maynard replied, bowing his head.  
  
"And may I ask why?" Seto asked.  
  
Maynard glared at Aiden. "Because that sad excuse for an Alpha-Male right there slashed her face and she's still recovering from the blow."  
  
Seto pondered that reason only for a second and then fired back a good argument. "Can Miara walk?"  
  
"Yessir. She can." Maynard replied.  
  
"Then bring her here." Seto ordered. "Our counseling session shall not officially begin until Miara is here to testify."  
  
Maynard shook his head, but went out of Probation Counsel to summon his daughter and appease Seto's request. When Miara returned Nanaki had to restrain himself from laughing. She looked as though she had just come back from her grave.  
  
"What's wrong Miara" Nanaki asked and continued, "did you get in a wittle fight?"  
  
Miara stood firm. She was so angry she couldn't speak. She would have clubbed the little red brat if she had the chance, but he wasn't worth her time.  
  
Seto nodded solemnly and warmly at Miara as Maynard sat back down at his place. "Good afternoon miss Miara. I see you have a few gashes across your face. Did you get that from the Sacred Forest?"  
  
Maynard's face changed into shock and he turned to Miara and asked, "You went to the Sacred Forest?!"  
  
Miara bowed her head in embarrassment.  
  
Seto looked at Maynard. "Maynard, there is no reason to get mad at her now. She's here to be punished for her actions."  
  
Maynard looked back at Seto. "She'll be punished...don't you worry about that!"  
  
Aiden was quiet for the most part of the trial and had remained quiet until this point. It was when Maynard said he was going to punish Miara that Aiden had to step in.  
  
"Judge Maynard!" he called out loudly.  
  
Maynard turned to Aiden and stepped down from his post. The warrior had had his share of defiance for the day. First, Seto insisted Miara was to blame and then Miara admitted to going to the Sacred Forest, and now this pathetic excuse for a tribe leader was smarting off to him! Maynard circled around Aiden.  
  
"Do you have something you can't keep quiet any longer?" Maynard asked.  
  
"Maynard, I believe your harsh ways are reflecting on your daughter. She is arrogant...and unafraid and strong." Aiden answered.  
  
"And that is not any problem." Miara intervened and continued, "I can take my father's punishments. I am a grown Sanjiv."  
  
"Grown?" It was here where the Counsel itself became involved. Taka begged to differ with what Miara was claiming.  
  
"I can certainly say by lying to your father and plotting to hurt another Sanjiv is NOT considered 'grown up'. At the very most it is considered 'juvenile'."  
  
Miara glared at the judge. "You have some nerve calling me juvenile."  
  
Taka was not phased at all. "Unlike your peers Miara, I am not phased by your childish threats. I have a significant other, my own cubs coming soon..and I am a great fighter...so what would you do to me?" The judge dared to challenge Miara.  
  
Miara sighed and stepped back.  
  
"You must learn to step down Miara. I believe Aiden has served his time in the muzzle..am I correct?" Taka turned to the others judges only to see all three nod. Maynard was unable to react, but majority of the Counsel agreed.  
  
"I purpose Miara wear the muzzle...actually..no. I purpose she just be tied to a pole in the middle of the Canyon and face public humiliation. She should not be able to speak...but instead of talking...listen." Taka ordered.  
  
The judges agreed, except Maynard.  
  
Maynard was silent. He acted as though he had no concern or connection with his daughter. She had become dead to him.  
  
"Is that a perfect punishment Maynard?" Taka asked.  
  
"Yes," Maynard nodded. "I second that punishment."  
  
With that, Miara's punishment was settled. She walked out and Aiden and Nanaki watched her leave. She walked with a sort of sadness that almost made Aiden sympathize.  
  
Nanaki coughed to summon Aiden's attention back to the counsel, but the counsel had already adjourned. It appeared that Seto would ask what was going on later...when he didn't have the other judges around. He wasn't about to cause his sons to incriminate themselves.  
  
Maynard followed Miara with the same arrogant walk he had had earlier.  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
"Tonight's meal was hard to catch." Hoshiko spoke quietly, almost inaudible. She was part of the hunting group and looked at Seto for some reassurance. "I wonder if the SkeeSkees have moved to a different place."  
  
Seto sighed and nodded, "Are the Griffins still about?"  
  
"As far as I know yes." Hoshiko explained through her mouth filled with meat.  
  
"Well, we'll have to send out more Sanjivs on the Hunt. If the SkeeSkees are moving on, we're going to have to compensate for their move." Seto replied.  
  
Aiden, Nanaki and Meena all sat waiting for the meal and for a second they thought they would not be fed tonight, but then Seto turned to all three of them.  
  
"You cubs are definitely different from my days as a cub." Seto informed. "Your mother and I were a lot less of trouble makers. I've had three cubs so far and already two of them are causing trouble."  
  
Meena's ears curled down in slight embarrassment.  
  
"It's not you Meena," Seto informed her and her ears curled up again to attentiveness.  
  
Nanaki and Aiden were both quiet. Both were afraid of the talk they were going to get. Seto was always harder on the males than the females because males were given the job of leading the tribe and boinking the few females...not that boinking was a real chore, but Seto insisted the males be more mature than the females.  
  
"Which one of you wants to get the talk first?" he asked.  
  
Aiden and Nanaki looked at each other. Nanaki stepped foreward.  
  
He figured he better get the talk overwith. He had heard Seto's talk about responsibility and act of being responsible. He had the whole speech memorized. It was always the same thing. What a way for him to take one for the team. He and Aiden were a team, though Aiden hated to admit it. However, Nanaki knew somewhere deep down inside Aiden believed he was a team with his brother.  
  
Seto trudged out of the den and into the canyon and Nanaki followed him.  
  
They were right at the top of the Canyon when Seto finally spoke up, and it wasn't the speech Nanaki was expecting.  
  
"I remember when I saw your mother here in the Canyon. Her father was a great warrior and her mother was a lot like her. She was quiet and very calm unless she was stressed. Her family pack left and they were attacked by humans...a large army of them. Her mom lived long enough to carry Hoshiko back to here and she left her with Bugenhagen."  
  
"Yeah, but what does this have to do with me?" Nanaki asked.  
  
"I was a lot like you and Aiden when I was that little. I was cocky and a bitch's stud. I wanted to be with the females badly. One was about a lovely as Miara is to the two of you."  
  
"I don't like Miara anymore." Nanaki informed. "Nipala is one I'm looking after."  
  
"Nipala?" Seto was somewhat shocked.  
  
"Yes." Nanaki nodded.  
  
"Well that changes things completely.." Seto explained. He then turned to Nanaki and smiled, "well in that case, I have a different story for you...although it still involves your mother."  
  
Nanaki nodded and sat down. His father was not a very talkative kind of Sanjiv, but he smiled.  
  
"I was a lot like you Nanaki. I would fall into the entracing looks of the females..they had a way with me and I was never one to really do anything for them like Aiden is."  
  
"What do you mean?" Nanaki was completely puzzled now.  
  
"The reason why Aiden attacked you was because Miara wanted him to...and he did." Seto stated, bluntly.  
  
Nanaki was shocked. Why would his teammate do that?  
  
"Why would he do that?"  
  
Seto looked at Nanaki. "Maybe to win Miara over."  
  
"Is Miara mad at me?" Nanaki asked.  
  
Seto sighed, "I don't know. I think you will have to solve those problems yourself." He then turned to look at the sky...and continued his story. "I don't think you realize that you and I are a lot alike..." he then looked down at Nanaki. "I want to tell you a short story...you okay with that?"  
  
Nanaki shrugged and laid down on the ground. "Shoot."  
  
"Your mother was the female talk of the Canyon. Maynard and I were both wanting to be with her. Maynard was about to kill in order to get her. Bugenhagen, being your mom's gaurdian pretty much, rejected Maynard. Maynard had been to the battlefield and was a worthy Sanjiv for your mother, but he was not all that great at heart. Hoshiko didn't like him anyway. Maynard was really angry and tried to kill me or one up me several times."  
  
Nanaki yawned. "Dad, you're babbling again."  
  
Seto looked down at Nanaki. "Nanaki, I advise you...be careful with Miara. Bugenhagen says she has just about as much wrath in her insides as her father. If Aiden was right in saying Miara made him fight you...you better be careful."  
  
Nanaki nodded, "Whatever dad."  
  
"I mean it Nanaki! You gotta promise you'll be careful and not talk to her as much as you can get away with!"  
  
Nanaki rolled his eyes. "Okay..I promise."  
  
'Some talk!' Nanaki thought. 'You could have just said stay away from Miara.'  
  
With that, Nanaki stood up and scurried back down to the den. Aiden was already coming out of the den and Nanaki.  
  
He was angry with Aiden. There was really no sense in trusting him any further than he could throw him, although he could throw him pretty far.  
  
Nanaki would have continued down to the den, but he heard a shrill scream and he knew that scream. It was none other than Miara. He looked down and shook his head. "Sorry dad, but I gotta see what's happening."  
  
He scurried down to Maynard's den and saw Maynard picking up Miara and throwing her about the den as well as smacking her across the face. Miara was covered in the sand and dust from the den and was bleeding from her white fur.  
  
Nanaki barked a bit and Maynard turned and looked at Nanaki.  
  
"Do you need something?"  
  
Nanaki shook his head. "I believe you should give your daughter a break."  
  
"You shut up you wimp!" Maynard snarled.  
  
"Why don't you come over here and say that to my face you fat bloke?!" Nanaki called.  
  
Maynard came over to Nanaki and stood above him. "Listen son, you're a young Sanjiv..so I will give you until the count of three."  
  
"Nanaki! He's not joking, step down!" Miara called, her voice a little raspy.  
  
"One." Maynard counted.  
  
Hoshiko came out of the den and saw Maynard and Nanaki and rushed down to where they were. She stood in front of Nanaki right in time for Maynard to slash. Maynard was shocked to see Hoshiko bleeding instead of the little brat Sanjiv.  
  
Hoshiko's eyes opened and they were sparked with anger. "Maynard, I think you should go to sleep."  
  
Maynard was speechless. He did not mean to hurt Hoshiko, but he nodded and turned to the den. He trudged back and Hoshiko looked down at Nanaki.  
  
Nanaki was in awe, but was cocky. He was like any other Sanjiv male. He had the whole "Mommy's gonna protect me" mentality.  
  
"Come Nanaki," Hoshiko ordered as she stumbled back to the den.  
  
Nanaki followed Hoshiko and looked at her upon returning to the den.  
  
"Nanaki...no more cockiness. No more.." Hoshiko ordered after licked her wounds.  
  
Nanaki looked down and laid down against her fur and shut his eyes. He was a young Sanjiv. They were expecting him to act like an adult..how was that gonna work?  
  
*~*~*~*~*~* Well, that's it! Kinda a random chapter in my opinion...but review anyway! Go! Go!! A big thank you to Dr. Wilopolis and LilAnimatedGrlN'Pink. You are the few who are faithful. ^.^  
  
RedKennypuppy 


	6. Spring Fears

Disclaimer: I definitely don't own any of Final Fantasy VII. All the characters, places, and monsters I give full ownership rights to Square Enix. But, I do own my characters. The only non-FFVII character in here that is not my own is Nipala, who is used with written permission by Frank Verderosa. All that being said, here's chapter 6!  
  
Chapter 6: Spring Fears  
  
The spring was no more eventful than the other springs prior. The only awesome event that happened was that Meena gained a year and was actually now able to speak in normal conversation.  
  
News in the Sanjiv population was only that Taka had recently received his first cubs. They were twins..a rare occurrence among the Sanjivs...and definitely a sign of prosperity for Taka and his mate.  
  
Most of the Sanjivs were now also growing back their original coats. There was more variety in coats. It was much easier to find another Sanjiv in a crowd of the population.  
  
Nanaki had not actually talked to Nipala since the Festival of Fire and now since Meena was not so dependant on Hoshiko, Nipala's presense was more around her family...and that's the way it was for the most part of spring..with one exception being at Meena's birthday celebration.  
  
The SkeeSkees had still not returned at the end of spring. They always returned to the Canyon, but for some reason, they didn't return...which was a bit of a worry to Seto. The main game for the Sanjivs was the SkeeSkees, catching two or three SkeeSkees per family would last each two weeks. The decreasing population in SkeeSkees and more and more Griffins and Desert Sahagins was a bad sign. The Griffins ate the SkeeSkees and if there were no SkeeSkees to consume, the Griffins would leave. This left the Sanjivs with only one choice of diet, the Desert Sahagins. Their shells, however, made it near impossible to kill in one day...as the Sanjivs's claws and teeth were next to nothing against the sturdiness.  
  
"This is a problem that must be fixed!" Seto stated among the Court of Sanjiv Males. The Court of Sanjiv Males was an assembly of all the grown male Sanjivs who discussed "ins and outs" of the survival of the population.  
  
Maynard looked at Seto and opened his mouth, "I believe we can fix the problem by finding out why the SkeeSkees have moved on. Obviously, the weather is not at fault. It is no hotter here than it is any other spring. I propose we send out a few Sanjivs and have them explore the areas among this Canyon for signs of any reason of decline in SkeeSkees."  
  
"Who would you propose we send out Maynard?" one other Sanjiv male spoke up, partially in a smarting off kind of tone, and he continued in such a way, "All of us males are too old to head out. Nanaki and Aiden and Miara have summoned attention to this Canyon by the humans. There's no telling whether or not we're safe among the outskirts of the Canyon!"  
  
"This is why you send out the youth. They are strong. They can learn the ways of hunting as well as the technique required for combat by being out there in the wild." Maynard informed.  
  
"I'm not sending Gemini and Kakra out into the world. They can hardly walk as it is!" Taka interrupted. Him being a new father, it was understandable what he had outburst for.  
  
"I was meaning the youth more around Aiden's age." Maynard informed and turned to Seto, "Aiden has wanted to explore the outside world and hunt, has he not?"  
  
"He has indeed. He wanted to explore the whole Planet if I would have let him." Seto agreed.  
  
"Well then send him off to search for reason behind the SkeeSkee decline." Maynard reasoned.  
  
"Well, gee..why didn't I think of that?" Seto asked and continued bluntly, "oh yes! I remember! Because any tiny mistake will doom all of us to certain death!"  
  
Maynard rolled his eyes and the whole Counsel continued in an uproar. Insults were flying left and right, some males had gotten so fed up with the difference of opinions of the others that they had used their hungry teeth to pierce the flesh of one of the males who the disagreed with. One male, however, remained calm.  
  
This was none other than Ramiro. He called, "Sanjivs!!"  
  
The Sanjivs haulted in their actions as Ramiro stood up and replied. "Sanjivs, I favor Maynard's idea, but I suggest we mix in the more experienced hunters in the search party so that if the youth do make a slight mistake, the hunters can make up for it."  
  
Seto looked at Ramiro. "That does make sense. Now we'll need to ask the populus."  
  
With that decision being made, all the males left the meeting and returned to their dens. It was around dinner time when the Counsel had adjourned, so all the males were hungry.  
  
Seto, upon returning to the cave, slumped down and fell asleep. Aiden and Nanaki both sat patiently, waiting for when they would be offered their meals. Meena sat next to the two boys, and watched as Hoshiko rushed over to Seto. She nudged Seto's head and asked quietly.  
  
"Seto," she asked, "are you wanting to eat?"  
  
Seto didn't respond.  
  
"Seto.." Hoshiko asked and Seto's eyes opened so she could see a slit of his eyes. "Dear..are you hungry?"  
  
Seto shook his head. "No I'm not."  
  
Hoshiko turned to the cubs and nodded. "You can go out and eat."  
  
All three of the cubs rushed for the fraction of meat left for them. Nanaki was satiated with only a smaller portion of the food, but Aiden and Meena were a different story. Meena was about as stubborn as Aiden when it came to getting what she wanted.  
  
Nanaki ate what he could and as the two cubs-Aiden and Meena-fought. Hoshiko left the den almost in a haste and Nanaki followed. He followed her all the way to Bugen's observatory.  
  
Bugen saw Hoshiko and instantly his eyes turned to a sympathetic look. "What is wrong my dear Sanjiv?" he asked, arms open to embrace his adoptive daughter.  
  
Hoshiko rushed to Bugen's grasp and sighed as tears flew down her mahogany fur. She was in despair.  
  
Nanaki had never seen her so distraught. It almost jerked at his heart...making him want to cry. He crouched his body down in the shadows of the doorway as he watched Hoshiko and Bugen interact.  
  
"Now now Hoshi...calm down...and tell me what's wrong." Bugen consoled her to a point where she could talk comprehensively.  
  
"Seto is stressed out...he won't even get up to eat. The whole situation with the SkeeSkees is making him worse and worse. He's lost a want to live I guess." Hoshiko sputtered among the sobs.  
  
"Now Hoshiko," Bugen looked at Hoshiko and turned her face to face him and he continued, "you're overreacting. I am studying the SkeeSkee situation now...and I'm close to finding the answers."  
  
"It almost makes me think...why put the effort forth?" Hoshiko sniffed.  
  
"Are you suggesting suicide Hoshi?" Bugen asked. His eyes widened in shock.  
  
"Maybe.." Hoshiko responded.  
  
Bugen shook his head and he replied. "You have three beautiful cubs who are depending on you for support."  
  
"Nanaki and Aiden are old enough to where they're not dependant on me. Meena recently became independent." Hoshiko replied.  
  
Nanaki stepped in at this part. He could not take hearing his mother in despair anymore. "Mommy! I'll stay little for you!"  
  
Hoshiko and Bugen were both in shock. Bugen spoke up and turned to Hoshiko.  
  
"You and Seto need some time away from the harsh expectations of being the Alpha-Sanjivs."  
  
It was at this time that Bugenhagen let go of Hoshiko and she turned to Nanaki. "Come Nanaki, let's go back home."  
  
Nanaki quivered slightly. He felt a little embarrassed. He had just found his mother was a depressed soul...what was he to do?  
  
Hoshiko led Nanaki up to the peak of the Canyon. She turned to Nanaki and asked "Why did you follow me Nanaki?"  
  
"I don't know." He replied. "I guess I was just concerned.." he crouched cowardly and shuddered. His mother was a huntress, one of the few Sanjivs who went on the hunt for the food supply. Both his parents had a certain degree of fear where Nanaki wouldn't dare to challenge.  
  
Hoshiko's angry face turned calm at the sight of her young one shivering in fear. "You know..." she looked up at the stars as she continued, "when you were born, your father was happy and anxious to teach his two little cubs everything. He was less happy when Meena was born because she is a female...I guess the fact that his cubs are growing is getting to him."  
  
"And you're sad about dad?" Nanaki asked.  
  
"Yeah. I suppose he's feeling a little old...perhaps a vacation will make him feel better." Hoshiko brainstormed and turned to Nanaki.  
  
"Nanaki..how would you feel if you, Aiden and Meena were to stay with grandpa for a few days?" Hoshiko asked.  
  
Nanaki was slightly shocked. "Me? Stay with grandpa?...Where are you going?" he asked.  
  
"Will you cooperate?"  
  
Nanaki sighed and rolled his eyes. "Okay mama...I'll cooperate. I hate grandpa's house though..it's a little scary...just the observatory and all."  
  
Hoshiko nodded and looked at Nanaki. "My son, you're turning into your brother. Little by little. You may not see it..but I do. You and Aiden are so much more alike the more you two grow."  
  
"I suppose there's a reason why I don't see it." Nanaki giggled.  
  
Hoshiko rolled her eyes and nudged Nanaki's rump with her nose. "Get back to the den you screwball."  
  
"Ay ay Mother." Nanaki nodded.  
  
The two of them walked back to the den and all was fine. There was no more fights going on. It wasn't until after the whole family was far asleep in the den that Hoshiko decided to sneak away.  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
Hoshiko snuck away into the night only to see Maynard and a big shadowy figure. This frightened Hoshiko, what was going on?  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Sorry guys. I know it's another lame chapter, but I had to leave a cliffhanger on this one. I promise a better chapter next time. It was hard to write this chapter mainly because of all the work I have to do. This next week I will try to update with another chapter. I'll have less stress this week..so hopefully it'll work out well.  
  
Even though this chapter was lame, I would still like you to review though! Go Go go!! Here's a big thanks to Quirky Rikku, Link0723 and Dr. Wilopolis for reviewing the last chapter which was even more lame. Thanks a lot!  
  
RedKennypuppy 


	7. Lunatically High, But Powerless

Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy VII. I only own the random characters of my own.  
  
Chapter 7: Lunatically High, But Powerless  
  
"Hoshiko..what a pleasant surprise." Maynard smiled evilly as he saw his once favorite female. The shadowy figured remained solitary.  
  
Hoshiko bowed her head and spoke quietly. "Good evening Maynard."  
  
"What a pleasure to see you here...up this late. I haven't seen you up this late since.." Maynard paused in mock thought. The memory was clear in his mind, and he continued, "yes...I believe the last time I saw you here was...well..when you were telling me you weren't going for me..."  
  
Hoshiko nodded. "It's been a long time since then Maynard. I've had three cubs since then."  
  
Maynard reciprocated her nod, "I've had my own cub too...but let's not revisit those dark days of back when I was stupid enough to like you."  
  
"What are you doing out this late Maynard?" Hoshiko asked.  
  
Maynard uttered something to the shadowy figure and the figure disappeared. After the figure disappeared, Maynard turned to Hoshiko and began pacing around her.  
  
"Maynard, what are you doing out this late?" Hoshiko repeated what she had said.  
  
Maynard reached a point so he was behind her and he turned to look at her. "Hoshiko, I'm out here talking business.."  
  
"With a human?!" Hoshiko was partially angry with Maynard. "What business would you have speaking with a human at this terrible hour!?"  
  
"The same reason why you're out at this hour!" Maynard smarted back at Hoshiko.  
  
Hoshiko glared at him and smarted back in exchange for his wit. "You wanted to talk to Bugenhagen too?"  
  
"Not exactly." Maynard shook his head. He walked over to where his and Hoshiko's face were only an inch apart. "I met with a human who claims he can fix the SkeeSkee population problem."  
  
Hoshiko rolled her eyes. "Weren't you the one who suggested we send out the younger generation to figure out what's wrong with the SkeeSkees?"  
  
Maynard nodded, "I assume Seto told you about my brilliant plan."  
  
Hoshiko nodded in return. Seto hadn't told her much that night at dinner, but she figured with any silence from Seto it would mean something having to apply to one of the cubs.  
  
"It's perfectly flawless."  
  
"Yes. I suppose it is." Hoshiko agreed. She actually herself did not agree with Maynard..at all. There was something too good about that plan to make it be plausible to have come from Maynard.  
  
"Maynard," she tried to sputter out a remark feasible enough to suggest her distrust, but she could not. She continued nervously, "in your plan..are you suggesting..the young portion of our generation go out...by themselves?"  
  
Maynard nodded.  
  
"And by younger...you mean...Sanjivs around...Taka's age?" she stammered again. She hoped the answer would be yes, but her hopes were crushed.  
  
Maynard had shaken his head, so vigorously that the fur around the edges of his face shook in counteraction.  
  
"You mean...cubs?" Hoshiko asked. Her greatest fears were becoming a reality as she continued to speak to her past stalker.  
  
"Yes." Maynard replied.  
  
The feeling of sending her cubs off to hunt was a haunting fear for her. She had tended for both her males and females and they were more to her than Maynard knew. She had helped them all the time and was the receptor of their distress or depression. The cubs were the world to her!  
  
Hoshiko twitched with fury. "What are you thinking Maynard?!" she growled.  
  
"I'm thinking Aiden could lead and Nanaki could follow along with a few other cubs." Maynard remained completely calm while answering. Bitches were stupid, so he put it simply.  
  
Hoshiko's fur continued to twitch, but Maynard was not afraid. If she lashed at him, he would fare perfectly fine.  
  
"Hoshiko," Maynard started, but he was thrust against the dusty ground and Hoshiko sat on top of him.  
  
Her massive female paws pressed as hard as she possibly could. They were pushing his throat down and resticting as much air from his esophagus as she could get away with.  
  
Maynard grunted. He couldn't manage anything out of his mouth.  
  
"Those cubs mean the world to me Maynard! Nanaki almost died out there and Aiden too! What the hell are you thinking?! These are the future of our tribe you're sending out." Hoshiko snarled.  
  
Maynard tried to speak back, but only a grunt came in return.  
  
"Now, you Neanderthal..." Hoshiko pressed one of her hind legs over Maynard's "treasure". She continued with a spunk. "You send my cubs out into the world before they deem ready...you'll end up with one of two things."  
  
"Uruf!" Maynard managed to remark before he felt a point of Hoshiko's claws unsheathing on his throat.  
  
"You'll be in pain." Hoshiko stomped on Maynard's treaures and Maynard threw her off of him with all the strength he had. She would have continued had Maynard not interrupted.  
  
Hoshiko landed on her feet. She was almost like a cat, being that she landed on her feet..no matter how many times she was thrown. Her quick recovery of her footing was probably the only reason why she was a huntress. She wasn't very strong.  
  
Now it was Maynard's turn to speak finally. He turned himself upright so he could wheeze out a few words. "You, Hoshiko, should be ashamed.." he vasped for air.  
  
Hoshiko remained silent.  
  
Maynard continued to breathe heavily and tried to recover. After a long while of waiting, Hoshiko spoke up again.  
  
"If you are sending my sons out to fight the world monsters I will see to it that your daughter regrets such stupidity."  
  
"What daughter?" Maynard asked. He had forgotten his own daughter's presense in the sense of mental jumble.  
  
"Miara." Hoshiko replied, almost in a sort of "state the obvious" way.  
  
"She isn't afraid of you. She's got daddy on her side." Maynard grumbled.  
  
"Daddy won't be around too long to protect her though." Hoshiko smarted back.  
  
Maynard's eyes bulged with mock surprise. He heaved himself up, now recovered from the blow to his gentalia, and walked over to where Hoshiko stood. "Is that a threat from my precious little star?"  
  
"It's not empty." Hoshiko replied. She was growling all the more as she continued to be plagued with his presense.  
  
"Why don't you go relax and take a cold dip or something? You don't look well at all." Maynard informed.  
  
===================  
  
Nanaki and Aiden awoke to the sound of a shrill howl. It was still dark and the two cubs rushed out of their den to find out what it was that was bothering them so.  
  
Aiden sniffed the ground.  
  
Nanaki looked sleepily at him. "What's going on?" he asked.  
  
"I think..."Aiden stated between sniffs, "I think mother's in trouble!" Aiden kicked dust from the outside of the den into Nanaki's face as he scurried to look for Hoshiko.  
  
Nanaki followed Aiden and scurried as fast as his tiny seven year paws could carry him.  
  
Only minutes after running, Nanaki and Aiden both stumbled upon a fight. They saw in the light from the moon that Maynard and Hoshiko were fighting.  
  
Maynard had Hoshiko pinned onto the ground and was biting at her.  
  
Nanaki felt an intense rage rush through his veins. How dare that "great judge" abuse the Alpha-Female!! What place did he have to abuse her?! Nanaki growled loudly. "WHAT'RE YOU DOING?!?!"  
  
Maynard's actions didn't cease.  
  
Nanaki was about to dash down to tackle Maynard, but Aiden stepped in front of him.  
  
"OUT OF MY WAY!!" Nanaki screamed at Aiden.  
  
Aiden didn't budge. "Nanaki," he started, "don't bother trying to stop him. Let your anger be like a monkey in a pinata...remember what Bugen said!!"  
  
Sometime ago, Nanaki had gotten mad at Aiden for taking away his chew toy at Bugenhagen's and Bugenhagen saw the youthful anger as a danger to Nanaki. He remarked that Nanaki should let his anger be "like a monkey in a pinata". It was a truly obscure analogy, but it worked well...until now.  
  
Nanaki thrashed in a hissy fit.  
  
Aiden didn't move and took Nanaki's blows.  
  
It was after a few seconds of the thrashing, Seto arrived at the scene. He looked down at Maynard and turned to Nanaki and Aiden. He lunged down and picked up Nanaki with his mouth.  
  
Nanaki thrashed at the air a few moments and then gave up, he was exhausted. Seto put him back down and then rushed down to where Maynard and Hoshiko were.  
  
He launched himself to tackle Maynard and was successful. Maynard was pinned to the ground of the Canyon by Seto's paws with his claws unsheathed.  
  
Maynard was speechless for a moment, but he quickly recovered. He had three slashes across his face and he snarled. "Seto...you have a bitchy female there!"  
  
Seto remained silent and looked over to Hoshiko and found Nanaki and Aiden trying to take care of her.  
  
Upon Hoshiko appearing to have enough strength to stand, and hobble back to the cave, Seto turned back to Maynard.  
  
"Maynard..I want you to leave the Canyon." He muttered.  
  
"WHAT?!" Maynard reacted with rage. He forced Seto off of him and Seto repeated himself and remained steadfast.  
  
"I want you to leave the Canyon. You have until high noon tomorrow."  
  
With that, Seto followed Hoshiko and the cubs back to the den.  
  
==============  
  
The next day was a completely normal day except for one thing. Every Sanjiv among the tribe had heard about the dispute between Hoshiko and Maynard and knew what had resulted from it.  
  
So, when high noon came around, Maynard stepped up to the edge of the Canyon. He had kept his headdress, but turned in his jewelry that came with being a "great judge".  
  
Seto, Nanaki and Aiden were at the edge of the Canyon to see him off. Maynard and Seto looked at each other for a solid moment before Maynard turned to his daughter and asked. "Do you have any last minute goodbyes you would like to say?"  
  
Miara stood at Maynard's side and turned and looked at Seto. "May I say my goodbyes in private?"  
  
"Yes." Seto smiled down mercifully at Miara.  
  
Miara looked at both Aiden and Nanaki, and she walked past them. The two male cubs followed her.  
  
Miara looked down as she sat down, facing her two buddies.  
  
Aiden smiled, "You don't have to speak Miara. We know you're going to miss us."  
  
Miara looked up at the two cubs. "I will definitely miss you Aiden."  
  
Aiden flushed and smiled. "Aw..I'm sure we'll see each other again."  
  
Miara looked down. "I highly doubt it. Your father won't let my father come back for a long time. My father will probably die outside of the Canyon." She looked at Nanaki.  
  
Nanaki was silent. He spoke up after a long silence passed between the two of them.  
  
"It's not fair that you should leave. Your father now has more reason to beat the crap out of you."  
  
"Yes..I know." Miara looked down. "But this way, I can at least become useful among another tribe."  
  
"You were useful here!" Nanaki argued.  
  
Miara shook her head and looked at Aiden. It was the hardest thing for her to do. She didn't want to leave. She wanted to remain at the Canyon so she could remain with Aiden and have a chance at becoming Alpha-Female.  
  
She lunged into Aiden and licked his face and said her goodbye to him.  
  
Nanaki watched her walk away and Aiden rushed away from her...so in the horizon it was only Miara and Nanaki.  
  
"Miara! Wait!" Nanaki yelped.  
  
Miara turned around. "Yeah?"  
  
"By...other tribes, do you mean that there are more tribes outside the Canyon?" Nanaki asked.  
  
Miara laughed. "Yes Nanaki, the Sanjivs aren't the only tribe in the world."  
  
With that, Miara walked back to Maynard and the family walked out of the Canyon.  
  
For the first time in Nanaki's life, he felt a sense of greif. His friend was gone now.  
  
Seto turned to Nanaki and saw his glum face.  
  
"What's wrong son?" he asked.  
  
Nanaki rolled his eyes and responded. "Why did Miara have to leave with him father?"  
  
"Because Miara is Maynard's treasure. If I kicked Maynard out of the Canyon, Miara would have to go too simply because she is not yet old enough to live on her own."  
  
"Couldn't we have taken care of her?!" Nanaki grumbled.  
  
"Why is it so important that we care for her?" Seto asked.  
  
"Maynard abuses her!"  
  
Seto's eyes read disbelief as Nanaki continued.  
  
"Mom and I were down by his cave one night and he was smacking her around! She's in a terrible predicament father!"  
  
Seto rolled his eyes. "She's out of my power now." After that remark, Seto left Nanaki and Nanaki sighed out a long sigh of frustration.  
  
Why did they disregard anything he said? Was he really that powerless? Nanaki continued to think as he watched his father leave. Nanaki's sorrow became only deepened as he continued to watch his father leave.  
  
Nanaki howled out to Miara and Maynard. Though Maynard had put Hoshiko in terrible shape, he was connected to Miara, and Miara deserved more than just a goodbye.  
  
====================================================  
  
Well guys, there's a good chapter for all you Anti-Miara people. I'm sorry it's not longer...but I was surprisingly busy this week when I thought I wouldn't be. I guess that just goes to show to not make plans for the future..so I'm not making plans for the future of this story as far as when the next chapter will go up. I will be simply writing as much as I can, when I can. I do, however, have an idea of where this story is going to go next...so keep your eyes peeled. .  
  
Now that that's off my chest, go and review. I only got one review for Chapter 6 and that makes me sad. Thanks for the review anyway though Quirky Rikku.  
  
Anyway, go review without flames!! GO!!  
  
RedKennypuppy 


	8. The Scary Blue Wolves

Disclaimer: I do not own FF7. I know that. If I did I could probably get away with publishing these books, but I don't own it so oh well. "Nipala" is used in this story with permission from Frank Verdosa and all other characters I have come up with on my own! Thank you very much Quirky Rikku for leaving a review on Chapter 7.

Specimen Alpha

Chapter 8: The Scary Blue Wolves

Nanaki and Aiden had both required a good year in order to cope with the loss of their old friend Miara. Miara had been for the most part fairly kind to them. Neither one of them could understand why she had to go. It was because of her stubborn pushy father, Maynard.

Aiden had been awake for a long time when Nanaki awakened too. Aiden was making a noise in his inner throat. It was hardly a roar of an Alpha Male. In fact, it was closer to the sound of a frog.

"What's wrong Aiden??" Nanaki asked. Although Nanaki did not really like Aiden, there was always a filial concern Nanaki held.

Aiden turned around and looked at Nanaki. He looked too much like he belonged to the darkness with the moonlight glow outlining his young sturdy build.

"Nothing is wrong with me Nanaki." Aiden replied. He turned back to look at the high, full midnight moon as he continued, "I am just thinking…thinking about Miara…and her situation. Not to mention, the fact that she can't come back here without being seized. We were her friends only but a year or so ago and now we are ordered to turn on her and hate her. That just makes me love her more."

"You know nothing about love Aiden. You're not even mature yet. What do you know about love?" Nanaki rolled his eyes in disgust. Aiden had just awakened to become his usual "Drama King". Though a king would hardly be caught awake at night with a frog in his throat. It was only simple elementary.

Aiden's frog chimed in his throat all the louder, enough to where it awakened Meena. It was odd how as the Sanjivs grew older they began to not sleep as well as they did. Bugenhagen had once theorized that the older the Sanjiv gets, the more the planet speaks to it. Of course, Maynard had never heard the planet speak to him so Bugen's theory was quickly proven wrong.

Meena stood up and shook off the dust from her fur and rushed over to Aiden's side. "Do you hear it Aiden?" she asked.

"Hear what?" Aiden replied, completely ignoring Nanaki.

"The whimpers." Meena replied. She was referring to her youngest sibling. Hoshiko had given birth to another baby Sanjiv female, which Meena was given the privilege of naming. She did not name it whimpers…though she called her sister by that nickname. She named the cub Malon.

Aiden rolled his eyes at his younger sister's idiocy. Meena was rarely ever annoying, but yet she was at the same time. It was rare that Aiden would wake her up..so maybe her fatigue gave her a plausible excuse.

"Aiden, there is nothing we can do to get Miara back." Nanaki concluded, desperately wanting to hear silence to which he could sleep soundly.

"I know there's nothing we can do right now…but I see her every time I go to sleep. Her and I speak to each other. She's distressed…I can feel it." Aiden argued.

"You feel it?? How exactly are you supposed to feel it in your dream?? How much can you FEEL when you're dreaming?!?" Nanaki was fairly frustrated by now.

Aiden persisted, "Nanaki, come with me. We have to go see Miara!!" He was starting to leave the den.

Nanaki followed Aiden, and was followed by Meena. However, Meena dashed as fast as her young Sanjiv female paws could carry her over to the safety behind Aiden's leg. Nanaki paused and looked long and hard at Aiden.

"You remember what happened last time we went on an adventure." Nanaki glared at Aiden. "Your instigations made both of us suffer…and for what?"

Aiden looked at Nanaki with shock on his face. He countered Nanaki quickly. "I cannot believe you would see me as an instigator."

Meena looked at Aiden "Come on Aiden, I wanna go play outside with you!!"

Nanaki immediately felt a need to go out on this stupid quest with Aiden after Meena spoke up. Punishment on the females was much more harsh than the males had to undergo, and Nanaki wanted to preserve his sister's innocence for as long as possible.

"Fine, I'll come too..but we better be back before mom and Seto wake up." Nanaki grumbled as he walked over to where Aiden was and followed Aiden out of the Canyon.

------------------------------------------

Miara was lying down on the vibrant red floor of the Alpha Male's estate. It was all happening way to fast.

It was only a year ago that she had been taken from her father and placed with her "potential mate". Maynard did not choose the right way for the both of them.

Now she was under the possession of the Alpha Male, Xylara. She and her "potential mate" had been involved in several squabbles as of lately, so the Alpha Male took her away from the mate and decided some discipline was in order.

So here she was, lying on the floor of the Xylara's estate. Her feet were chained to the ground and

Xylara stomped over to where Miara lay. He vaguely looked similar to Maynard and yet, looked different. While Maynard had a headdress, this head honcho had cloaks and scarves and various rings and necklaces. His fur was blue, as most of the Ragrasors fur was, but it was not slashed in anyway. It was as though no one could touch him all the years he had been the Alpha Male. He slammed his paw down right in front of Miara's face, almost squishing her nose in the process. "Miara, I have heard of your and Tygrxy's squabbles. Is there any reason for this?"

Miara's eyes shifted the other way. "Where's my father?" she asked.

"It does not matter. You are a mature female. Tygrxy complains of your failure to comply with breeding." Xylara glared at Miara with his hazel eye while his brown eye watched her paws to make sure she did not attack.

Miara was silent.

Xylara's patience was growing thin. "Is this true Miara?"

Miara nodded. "I'm not ready to bear cubs."

Xylara slammed his paws down and walked around Miara and spoke to her.

"Miara, you are a fine developed Ragrasor female!!"

Miara stood up and growled, "I am a Sanjiv, not a Ragrasor!!!"

Xylara laughed at Miara's typical female incompetence. He strutted around Miara as he continued his interrogation. "Miara," he stated and continued, "Your father was originally part of our tribe until he met up with a lovely Sanjiv female and left us. You are a half breed, but your maturing is more similar to that of a Ragrasor than a puny Sanjiv!"

Miara argued. "I have never come across or heard of any Ragrasor while living among my old tribe of the Sanjiivs…My father could not possibly be one of you ugly beasts!!"

She spat at Xylara and he turned to her and bore his big white teeth that were accompanied shortly by a growl.

"Perhaps because we are not known as the Ragrasor tribe, we are not known very well by the Sanjivs. The Sanjivs live for knowledge and less for war, so if you were to hear of us anywhere, it would be from the Grand Imperial Tribe."

"Grand Imperial Tribe?" Miara stammered.

"It is a fighting tribe that is made up completely of humans. My buddy leads them." Xylara explained and continued, "They are more brutal in their warfare than your father was in all the Sanjiv battles."

Miara swallowed hard.

Xylara spread an evil grin across his face as he paced around Miara again. "Since the Grand Imperialists are allies with the Ragrasors, you rarely hear about us. But it does not matter!! The Ragrasor is a blood line that must be preserved, and what better way to preserve it than through a female offspring of a great warrior and a highly known great warrior among this tribe?"

Miara had to agree with that statement of preserving the fighting blood. He did have a point. She was a descendant of a great and brutal warrior and her "potential mate" was one of the more popular of fighters, but she continued to resist.

"You can preserve it through any other beast though. I don't see why you believe that I would be the best choice!! I refuse to give into the disgusting males of this tribe!"

Xylara looked at Miara and slapped her in the jaw with his unsheathed clawed paw.

"I warn you miss Miara, it would do you well to hold your tongue in a male's presence."

Miara lay on the ground again on her left side. Memories struck her mind of when she would be in trouble with her father and feel the exact same outcome.

She felt as though she was on fire, she was so angry. She immediately leaped to her chained feet and attempted to grab Xylara's body and slash it, but missed.

At this point, Xylara gave up and turned to two other blue wolves standing in the room with him. "Take her away. Stick her in the chiller…maybe she'll come to her senses more after a week or so."

"Oh what Aiden would do to this fiend if he could see what was going on right now." Miara thought to herself. "I wish he were here. Aiden, where are you?"

------------------------------------------------

"Aiden, we have been walking for way too long." Nanaki complained. He lifted up his paws and shook them as they throbbed with pain.

"Ah, shut your trap." Aiden snarled back.

"I can't shut my trap when we still have yet to come across a sign that there is someone out here." Nanaki spat back in grumpiness due to fatigue.

Meena rushed over to where a grasshopper sat on a blade of the dark green grass.

"Lookie Aiden!! It's a buggy!!" she smiled and jumped for it, only to land flat on her face.

Aiden and Nanaki walked by her, expecting her to get right back up and follow again, and she did..but she ran to Aiden in a panic.

Aiden was not paying attention and suddenly felt a strong grip on his leg. He looked down and saw Meena, quivering in fear and he turned around to see Nanaki was trying to speak to two dark figures whom Aiden could not make out.

Meena shrieked, "Aiden, these big scary wolves tried to scratch me!!!"

Aiden nodded at Meena's tattling. These beasts looked like wolves.

Nanaki smiled at the wolves with a fragile smile. "What seems to be the problem here folks?" he asked.

The wolves replied, "We hunt for the Grand Imperial tribe, and the weakest runts of the wild are chosen as a meal for his majesty Nattak."

"Nattak?" Aiden's eyes glowed in wonder.

"Meals??" Nanaki looked at Meena and then back at the wolves.

"RUNTS???" Meena's squeaky childish voice squealed in offense. She stomped out to the wolves and stuck out her tongue. "I'M NOT A RUNT!! I'M A BORN HUNTERESS!!!" She unsheathed her claws to display her tiny claws and let out the biggest howl she could muster, which was only as good as Aiden's frog howl earlier that night.

The wolves smiled evil grins and laughed, but Meena continued to hold her ground.

"Meena, get away from here!!" Nanaki warned.

The blue wolves slammed their jaws down onto Meena's back before she even had a chance to dodge and she squealed in pain.

Aiden, who had been daydreaming this whole time, suddenly awakened at the sound of her squeal and caught the wolves running away with her.

Aiden immediately took off, dashing for the wolves to get his sister back.

Nanaki went with him, but Aiden disagreed. "Go home!! You're not strong enough to fight these guys without hurting Meena. Don't tell mom and dad about this!!"

Nanaki was shocked. "Don't tell mom and dad?? Don't you think they'll notice right away that they only have two cubs present??"

"No. Whimpers will keep them busy! Now go home!!"

With that, Nanaki stopped running and watched as Aiden and the wolves both disappeared in the distance. This was going to be a massive punishment for them all once they returned.

-------------------------------------------------------

Well guys, here you have it, Chapter 8 is finally finished!! I'm soo glad I finally was able to get this done. I'm sorry I haven't updated this thing as often as I should have, but between graduating, my birthday, summer trips, getting my license, getting a job and my first semester of college I became more absorbed in what I had to get done for those. Then, when I was ready to come back to writing, the chapter I had written before had been erased due to my computer's need to reboot…so I needed to start from scratch..which took me months and months to find the old notes and plans I had scribbled down for this chapter, but I'm proud to say that this chapter is another long one, so you can in a way say it was "worth the wait". So yeah, go all and review this chapter, but please no flames!!! Thankies!! -

RedKennypuppy


	9. Dead Meet

Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy VII. I do not claim ownership of "Nipala" although I have an email displaying consent from the person who does. I claim ownership of my characters: (Maynard, Miara, Xylara, Hoshiko, Aiden…the list goes on.)

Specimen Alpha

Chapter 9: Dead Meet

Heave..heave..

Nanaki could feel his lungs painfully expanding as he reached the border of the Canyon. He unsheathed his claws in a panic, digging up mounds as big as the Skee-Skees he ate for lunch of the red sand as he sprinted across the canyon. He had to get to grandpa's lab. Bugenhagen would know what to do. It was part of being a grandpa…right?

Upon dashing through the main canyon, he jumped up the red-sanded cliffs and slipped up through the many tunnels the Sanjivs had dug into the canyon all the many years ago. He crept up to the main cliff where Malon and his parents laid, still under the dusty spell of sleep.

Nanaki slid by the cave opening and upon passing that, dashed up the long dusty hill to his grandfather's lab.

Once inside the lab, he collapsed. He was home free…for now.

Bugen saw Nanaki and smiled, "What brings you here my boy?"

As Nanaki collapsed on the ground, Bugen floated right to his aid in haste. The man heaved Nanaki up into his arms, asking what had frightened him so. It was certainly arbitrary that Nanaki would come to his lab when it was barely sunrise and even more alarming that Nanaki appeared to be in a state of panic.

Nanaki heaved and gasped for air, but managed to reply in between heaves, "Nothing…gram…pa…"

Bugen's eyes narrowed skeptically, "Sonny, you gotta tell me. Or else I'll have to tell your father about this. Now, I know there is no room for another mistake on your part but I need to know what's going on."

Nanaki sighed, "Won't you…tell Seto…if I tell you….?"

Bugen laughed and shook his head, "That's not necessarily true. Unless I feel that it's a matter, which presses for immediate attention from your father, I won't tell him. I'm a great confidant."

"No offense gramps.." Nanaki replied, "but I don't trust you."

"Well that's a sad thing son," Bugen placed Nanaki down so he was on his feet, "you might cherish my great secrecy one day."

Nanaki breathed out repeatedly in huffs of anger. How dare grandpa say that he would come to him. That's the first person Nanaki wouldn't come to! First and foremost would always be his mom! He unsheathed his claws and growled at Bugen.

Bugen sat there in the air, seemingly unphased.

Nanaki bore his teeth, attempting to display his superiority over Bugen.

Bugen just laughed, "Nanaki, you think I have a fear of getting growled, slashed and bitten? I've lived through years of your mother doing that to me!"

Nanaki kept feeling a need to tell his grandpa, but he also remembered the last time he didn't heed Aiden's warnings. Upon thinking about it thoroughly he came to the conclusion that nothing too bad happened typically.

Nanaki feverishly replied "I..grandpa…Aiden and Meena are going somewhere out in the world and I don't know where they're going! We wanted to walk around outside again, but Meena got picked up as game in the process by some big blue wolves and.."

Bugenhagen interrupted here, chastising the little cub, "Have you not learned from your first trip outside that going outside the Canyon prematurely is a stupid thing to do!"

Nanaki crouched in fright as Bugen chastised the little cub. "Are you going to tell my father?"

"I don't think that responsibility is mine Nanaki." Bugen replied, pulling off his sunglasses and wiping them clean while simultaneously rubbing his temples.

"But-"

"Nanaki, you want to prove you're smarter than Aiden? Tell your parents. The little cub to recently grace your family does not blind Hoshiko. She is a mother. Her maternal instinct will know to watch after every one her cubs…even Aiden and Meena. So tell her. Tell her and Seto."

Nanaki shivered, but had regained his composure at this time and stood up proudly. "I'll tell them grandpa."

"That's my boy!" Bugen cheered and Nanaki solemnly walked back to the den where he had left his parents earlier this morning.

Upon reaching the den, he saw Seto and Hoshiko had already been awakened. Malon was wailing up a storm, but Hoshiko was licking the pup enough to soothe the cub into a sleep again.

Seto saw Nanaki's troubled look and stared long and hard at him, "What's bothering you son?"

"Nothing…" Nanaki replied, but his ears curled back as he saw Seto turn his face as though to beg Nanaki to repeat himself.

Seto knew.

Hoshiko knew.

No doubt the whole tribe knew. It was the mass communication among the tribe that caused him and Aiden to become public spectacles.

"Are you sure now Nanaki? Have you any idea where your siblings have gone?"

Nanaki shook his head slowly and then hunched over and sighed. He knew Seto knew and was just waiting for Nanaki to incriminate himself by spilling information. He couldn't bear if something happened to the other cubs so he had to throw in the towel.

"As much as Aiden said not to tell you..I can't keep this a secret. Grandpa told me not to keep it from you."

Nanaki didn't hear anything from Seto after that, and looked up to see if Seto was still present, only to find something uplifting.

Seto's lips had curled up towards his ears and his eyes were glowing with pride, "I'm proud of you Nanaki. Come with me. Let's talk."

Seto had never smiled at Nanaki, ever. Aiden had always been the apple of Seto's eye. Seto's massive paws that had scared Nanaki so badly before passed by him and he wasn't afraid.

Nanaki followed closely behind Seto as the two of them strode up to the highest point of the Canyon.

Seto sat down and stared at the horizon. Nanaki sat next to him on the right side and mimicked his father's actions.

"I brought you here Nanaki, because this is where I feel we have the most privacy. At this point in the day, all are asleep. None wake up prior to the sunrise apart from your mother and I. Clearly our cubs have carried on that trait though."

"Dad, Aiden and Meena are in trouble."

"I know son. For the first time in my life though, I am not going to do anything."

"Why would you not do anything father? You're Alpha Male! You don't get much higher and stronger than that!"

"I know son! However, I'm not going to be around forever Nanaki. If Aiden is to come out of his immaturity to be Alpha, he will have to grow up mentally. There is no other way to do so than to place him at the head of a dangerous situation."

"So..you think that Meena will be okay?"

"Meena will be fine. Your brother will be too."

"How do you know?"

Seto smiled at Nanaki with a twinkle in his eye and replied, "They don't set those regulations of the Outer Canyon roaming for nothing. Your brother is strong. He just has to use his head."

Nanaki smiled back at Seto and looked out towards the horizon as the sun rose. The rays of the golden sun shone on Seto's coat causing him to look as though he were glorious.

Seto was right. Aiden would be fine.

It smelled like old yogurt, really old yogurt.

Aiden's nose cringed in disgust as he awoke. He heaved himself up to see several blue wolves huddled around him.

"Whadda baby," one of the laughed, "the little squirt hardly knows what hit'em."

Aiden shook his fur of the dust and dirt and looked around the group of blue wolves and found a golden furred animal in the midst of all the blue. "What happened to me?" he asked.

"Xylara doesn't take kindly to Sanjivs. You've stomped into the wrong territory." Another blue wolf replied.

"Where am I?" Aiden asked.

"The chiller." All wolves replied simultaneously.

"Chiller?"

"It's what the Regrasors call 'jail'." A higher voice replied.

Aiden's heart bounded with happiness. It had to be her.

"Mi..Miara!" he called out into the darkness.

Sure enough, there stood his golden furred princess. She was rather unrecognizable though. Her fur that had once gleamed with a pampered glow was now tattered, matted and unkempt. Her short mane hair had gone from a sweet milk chocolate brown to the kind of grimy brown you'd see on an old Gil coin. Her paws that had once been so dainty were callused and rough. Her claws seemed to be permanently unsheathed, as though she was always on defense. Her beautifully framed face had morphed into a slashed haven of scars. Then her eyes, her eyes were the worst of all.

Those emerald green eyes that had sparkled like the finest blades of grass Aiden had seen had changed to a dull green. There was no life in there at all.

The blue wolves dispersed to make a pathway for Aiden to Miara.

"Aiden?"

Miara's voice resonated and her eyes seemed to get a spark in them.

Aiden smiled and bowed at her, "Greetings Miss Miara."

"Greetings Aiden.." Miara smiled. She wished she could tackle her old friend, but her chains prohibited her from doing so.

He had grown up a lot in the year that had passed between them. His orange fur was refined and shiny. His paws were massive and supported his quiet muscled build. His claws were sharpened enough to slay a SkeeSkee in a swipe of his paw. His red eyes were brilliant and his headdress displayed a vast amount of colorful feathers. He looked the part of an Alpha Male.

"You've changed Miara," Aiden pointed out, stepping close to her, "I had never thought of you as a submissive type."

"Submission is the primary focus of Regrasor Females." Miara replied.

"So what're you here for? Not submitting?" Aiden asked, sitting down beside her.

"No, I'm here because I spoke back to the Alpha." Miara argued.

"So you are here for not submitting," Aiden replied, "just a more fancy way of putting it."

"I guess you could say that.." Miara's ears curled back and she looked down in embarrassment. How could she even try to sound brave around Aiden.

"You don't have to act so macho Miara," Aiden spoke up, "we've all gone through our spunky state of mind. I've grown out of that and am ready to bust out of here."

"What're you hear for?" Miara asked, now bordering on angry.

"To get my sister back," Aiden replied, "and to see you..again."

"Aha! So you have missed me." Miara playfully looked at Aiden expectantly.

"I never said I didn't miss you Miara. I just said you didn't have to act so spunky." Aiden replied calmly.

"I missed you too Aiden." Miara's eyes glowed again.

She had come to see Aiden again. It had to have been destiny! The two of them were meant to be together. He had been thinking about her all along, and she knew it.

Aiden grinned and looked at Miara's chains and smiled, "You've certainly accessorized since I last saw you."

"Quit your cute talk and get me outta these chains will ya?" Miara stomped her foot impatiently.

"Okay, okay." Aiden unsheathed one of his sharpest claws and began scratching away at the metal. If other beasts like him produced the metal chain, there had to be a way to undo it by natural means.

"So, where is your father?" Aiden asked.

"Maynard? He's gone." Miara replied bluntly.

"What do you mean he's gone?"

Aiden was slightly surprised that Maynard would just up and leave. He seemed to cherish Miara so much while abiding in the Sanjiv tribe that Aiden believed the beast would pull Miara into everything that he encountered. It was part of being joined as a family. You go through life together…right?

"Precisely that, he's gone. He dropped me off here and left me while he went out to hunt and he never came back. No doubt he was picked up by a Griffin." Miara hypothesized.

"Why would he be picked up by a Griffin?"

"I don't know. I don't see any reason why a SkeeSkee would haul him off do you?" Miara smarted back.

"Yeah, I suppose he's a little too heavy for a little runt bird to kill him. Griffin makes more sense."

"Of course it does!"

Maynard felt a cool air floating about. This building was much more cooler than any of the dens or holes he had ever lived in. The only problem was the human pulling him around on a chain was pulling him up fifty flights of stairs. What a silly human!

Ever since he had agreed to speak to the humans about the Canyon and the colony tribes surrounding them, he had become a prisoner. Though, he supposed that was really the only way humans knew to maintain control of subjects.

"He seems to be coming to. Shoot him again!" came a voice from his left side.

A small prick was felt on his left side and Maynard's vision began to sway in and out of focus.

Why did they insist on taming a beast by tranquilizers? It seemed trivial if they wished to extract information out of him. What was he to tell them? What was he to say? If only he had not wandered away from the hunting herd.

He would have been back with his home, feeding Miara and watching little cubs grow up while he sat back and admired.

He wondered how Miara was doing. Was she healthy? Was she still stubborn? Had she given Tygrxy a second…or third…or even fourth chance? Was she still even alive or had she been killed due to her insubordination?

"Maynard..right?" a deep, gruff voice exclaimed.

Maynard slipped his eyes open and glared at the human face in front of his.

"Yes." Maynard replied obediently in a raspy old voice.

"Pleasure to meet you sir. My name is Walter Shinra." The human replied and offered his hand as though Maynard would grow opposable thumbs to shake his hand.

"What do you think I am?" Maynard snapped at the cage bars that kept him from the human.

Walter saw the obscure behavior and pulled his hand away to the safety of his coat pocket.

"Obviously you are not a diplomat."

"I never said I was a diplomat. I'm coming to ensure my cub's safety. Your damn mobsters told me that if I refused to comply I would be dead."

"Yes, so I see you have met the Turks then?"

"If it's imperative you know then yes. I have met your dirty scumbags." Maynard snapped back.

"Enough of this criticism. Let's just get this meeting done so you can go back home."

"Okay." Maynard rolled his eyes.

"Where are you from Maynard?"

Maynard's eyes sparkled and his mouth curved into a smirk.

Well folks, there you have it! Chapter 9 is done! Yahoo! Sorry about the year and quite a few months delay folks. I know you all have other lives you have to attend to as do I. I have changed my major in college to English Writing so no doubt I will probably drop this fanfiction into one of my assignments or something. Anyway, you all know the drill! I believe the only person whom reviewed my fanfic is Quirky Rikku. That's okay though. I know she is a faithful reviewer. Thanks Rikku!

Go review!

No flames please 

RedKennypuppy


	10. Into The Red Zone

Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy VII, its characters; landscape or any other such thing associated with the Final Fantasy series. I would just like to use those characters in a way for me to construct a fan work. I also have obtained permission from Frank Verdosa to use Nipala in this fan fiction. My characters are, however, my own creation and something I would like to take ownership of.

Specimen Alpha

Chapter 10: Into The Red Zone

Nanaki could feel the heat on his back. It was fairly warm, as heat tended to be. He grinned a surreal grin to see he was in a field with several Skee Skees surronding him, probably about six or seven Skee Skees. Their beaks prodded at him.

Nanaki jumped up and growled at them all.

They didn't seem phased by Nanaki's childish growl and followed him.

Nanaki's tail whipped around in anger and the Skee Skees began to chase him. Their eyes were red with fury as they followed the little cub.

Nanaki huffed as he made his way around the field and tried to reach the Canyon grounds. He knew someone would be willing to step out and fight for the cubs of the Alpha Male.

There was a problem though; Nanaki couldn't find the canyon!

Had he fallen asleep and walked out to the field while sleep walking?

Nanaki's eyes watered in fear as he could feel his lungs becoming heavy. He was running out of breath and pretty soon the Skee Skees would have their share of him.

The Skee Skees gained on Nanaki and bull rushed him from behind.

Nanaki flew through the air and landed next to a bush a few feet behind him.

Upon landing, Nanaki was too exhausted to even try and get up. He prayed for some sort of miracle to come about him. Perhaps the Skee Skees would decide that after all this they weren't even hungry for Sanjiv at all.

The Skee Skees fast approached him, rushing about in a wild, frenzied, chaos.

Upon stepping within Nanaki's exhausted heap of a body, Nanaki covered his eyes and felt nothing from the Skee Skees. No beaks, no scratching or kicking. He wondered what had happened to cause them to freeze and opened his eyes and looked up to see the muscular build of his mother.

Hoshiko had come to his rescue!!

Her tail was whipping around furiously and Nanaki saw several of the females of the Sanjiv Hunting Unit surrounding him as they mimicked Hoshiko's movements. Their claws were unsheathed, teeth were beared and their bodies were stiff and ready to pounce.

Hoshiko grinned and Nanaki watched as all the Huntresses launched themselves at the Skee Skees. Each one did not fail at killing the little menacing birds. Each huntress sported a plump Skee Skee in her jaws as they returned to Hoshiko, whom didn't go after the Skee Skees.

Instead, Hoshiko found fit to pick up Nanaki by the scruff of his neck.

Nanaki felt it fit for the occasion. Mom had come to rescue him and since he was too exhausted from running from those birds, he had a chance to simply relax and enjoy the time while his mother took him back to the Canyon.

"Why was I left in the middle of the field mom?" Nanaki asked.

Hoshiko laughed, but didn't speak, as speaking would cause her to drop her precious cub.

One of the other huntresses, Nipala, spoke up, "Bait." She spouted out so bluntly that it caused her Skee Skee to catapult from her jaws to the dirt below.

The Skee Skee carcass rolled around in the dirt and Hoshiko gazed at the limp body disgustedly.

Nanaki felt bad. Nipala was an amateur huntress so she did not know the customs of hunting. Or even the common courtesy one was to exercise while hunting.

All the other huntresses froze.

Dropping the game that had been captured was a sign of selfishness and disrespect for the Alphas. The Huntresses hunted for the whole tribe. First and foremost the Alphas would have their share, then the Betas and last the common folk. The Huntresses were to present their captured game to the Alphas with no blemishes apart from the marks needed to kill them. Essentially, if a huntress rolled her game through the dirt it was a symbol of rolling the whole tribe through it.

Hoshiko did not speak, or turn, or act any differently from how she had acted. She simply kept walking as it was almost dusk and well past the ample time that the Sanjivs usually consumed their hunted game.

The hunting group Hoshiko was head of returned to the Canyon with all their game. As was the norm, Seto approached Hoshiko's group of huntresses and motioned with his paw for the females to drop their game.

All the females except Nipala dropped their game.

Seto saw this perk and glared towards Nipala. He walked over towards her, hunched over as though he would strike her down.

Nipala's ears curled back and she continued to hold her game in her mouth.

Seto glared at her.

Nanaki stirred in his mother's mouth trying to find his way out of it so he could admit what had happened.

"Father!! Don't hurt her!!" he shrieked, shuffling his paws every which way to get out of the grip of his mother.

Hoshiko dropped Nanaki down on the ground and Nanaki dashed for where Nipala and his father stood.

Nanaki crouched in front of Nipala to take his father's blow of disapproval, but Seto paused and gazed at Nanaki.

"Son, what're you doing?" he asked.

"Nipala didn't want to disrespect you father. Her Skee Skee is dirty from being dropped and rolled through the dirt. I can't let you hurt her father. She really did not do that on purpose.." Nanaki rambled on like a child.

"Nipala…" Seto growled and turned around to see Nipala crouched down, protecting Nanaki.

"What Nanaki says is true sire." She stated quietly.

Seto turned to Nipala and sneered. "Quiet subordinate female!"

Seto turned back towards Hoshiko and smirked at her, "Let's eat."

The whole tribe stood outside and watched the Alphas eat their share. They could see Seto speaking to Hoshiko in between bites.

"Your huntress has disrespected the tribe Hoshiko. Why did you allow her to bring the game back with her only to not drop it and further disrespect me?" Seto whispered sharply.

"She did no harm to anyone Seto." Hoshiko remained calm while speaking with her fiery husband.

"You have now made it so that I have to put her out in the world; a punishment I don't want to do Hoshiko," Seto argued, "and what's worse, you've not found your first son whom is destined to take over this tribe when I pass. I sent you out today with Nanaki so that he could tell you information regarding the whereabouts of both Aiden and Meena."

It was after this fiery statement from Seto that the rest of the tribe was decided to retire. Seto clearly wanted to say things to Hoshiko in private.

Nanaki decided it was best to go see Bugenhagen. It had to be the better of the two options of go to see Bugen, or go to the cave with his parents whom were heading up there to speak to one another with privacy.

He scrambled his cub legs up the rocks towards Bugenhagen's observatory and found him in there with Nipala whom was crying over her mistake. Nanaki smirked a little smirk and walked over to Bugen whom smiled.

"Child, why don't you go to your parents?"

"They're arguing Bugen. Father looks really really really mad. I can't step in on a time like that. Besides, I have to find Aiden and Meena. They're stuck outside the Canyon and I'm the only one who knows where they are."

"Ah yes well," Bugenhagen took his glasses away from his eyes and polished them as he continued, "you would probably do well to take someone of greater strength than yourself with you. Those wolves that you got caught up with were no ordinary wolves. They come from the Grand Imperial Tribe. They're a powerful sort. You'll need more than just brains to work with them."

"But if I find Aiden—"

"IF you find Aiden Nanaki. There is no guarantee that your brother is still alive. The Grand Imperial Tribe is not known to keep survivors," Bugen interrupted, "you are better off if you take your mother with you. She is strong and has great intellect on how to hunt. This is precisely what you'll need. Go ask Hoshiko for her assistance."

Nanaki finally gave in. He was still a cub and had to hand it to his mother that she was strong and willing to help Nanaki. He shuffled out of the observatory and rushed down the rocky pathway towards his parents cave.

Once he reached his parents cave it was already night. Yet, Seto and Hoshiko were still awake and arguing over trifles.

Nanaki had never seen his father so frustrated.

"Hoshiko, you have deliberately disobeyed me. I wanted another unit to capture the SkeeSkees while your unit go out and search for Aiden and Meena. Right now we might as well place Nanaki in Aiden's place seeing as how you can't seem to go searching for your first cub!!" Seto snarled.

"Um..mom?" Nanaki interrupted.

"Nanaki!"

The both of them turned around. Seto and Hoshiko had been so caught up in arguing that they hadn't heard Nanaki creep into the cave.

Nanaki's ears curled back and he crouched down.

Seto's eyes watered, "Don't bow down Nanaki. Stand proud! You're an Alpha cub!"

"Yes sir." Nanaki replied and held himself up.

"What is it my child?" Hoshiko asked, walking past Seto to her cub.

"I know where Aiden is..I was wanting to go find them. If-if you could help me, it'd be great mom."

Hoshiko's eyes became watery. "You know where your brother is?"

* * *

"Aiden! You imbecile! You can't get anywhere with all that shiny fur of yours!" Miara dragged him back to the prison cell by his tail.

Aiden growled at her and asked, "You wanted me to get ya outta here quickly didn't ya?!"

"Yes, but no one's gonna believe that we're normal folk unless we're dirty."

Aiden's mind ran a million different directions. His eyes sparkled and he approached Miara, "I didn't know you felt that way about me Miara."

Miara playfully slapped at Aiden's face with her paw, "Not like THAT you pervert!" She pushed him further down into the dirt. "You gotta get your fur dirty before we leave."

"Why?" Aiden coughed as Miara pushed him around to roll around in the dirt that was much thicker than the dirt he'd had to deal with in the Canyon. It caked onto his fur like a piece of chewing gum.

"Because the only one who has clean fur is Xylara."

"Who's Xylara?"

"He's the one who threw me in here." Miara smirked with green eyes, "he's the Alpha of this section of the Grand Imperial Tribe."

"You mean there are different SECTIONS of the Grand Imperial Tribe?!" Aiden about gagged as he sat up to reveal his dirty fur.

"Yes. The Regrasors are the canine section of it." Miara replied, "Xylara is the one you need to defeat if you want to free me without any trouble. My father left me under his control."

Aiden smirked, "He'll run away trembling." He puffed his chest out like a proud lion.

"And as for Meena--"

"Meena!" Aiden's eyes bulged and his massive proud chest deflated as he realized he had completely forgotten about Meena. Miara giggled a bit as she watched his deflate.

The blue wolves had dragged off Meena, and Aiden had told Nanaki to forget about what happened and return home. Nanaki had probably made it home quickly and now was waiting for Meena.

"Drat. Miara…I gotta get Meena back."

"Xylara rules over the blue wolves. The Regrasors and blue wolves are the same. They're one in the same." Miara explained.

"So if I defeat Xylara--"

"You've got the rest of the stuff you need in the bag." Miara smiled, proudly puffing out her chest, half mocking all Aiden had done before.

"So how do we get outta here?" Aiden asked.

"Dig…duh!" Miara smiled.

The two of them began to dig and dig. Aiden had forgotten how fun it was to get dirty. He had been cooped up in the Canyon for so long, studying under his dad that he hadn't been on any adventures that would jeopardize his chance at being Alpha Male.

"You take me to Xylara Miara…and I'll take you and Meena home. You'll be free once you return back to the Canyon."

The two of them successfully dug a good size hole in the grimy dirt that they could manage to squeeze through one at a time. Miara went first as she was more understanding of what was needed in order to communicate with the alien type race that she had been stuck in.

Miara slid through to see it was a very dark night. The clouds were dark black and covered the moon and stars. She could have sworn she heard thunder at some point too.

Aiden came out from the hole and promptly covered it, using his nose to shove the loose dirt back in place. He managed to do it quickly and he pushed it back to solidify its repositioning.

Miara and Aiden strode through the first few streets in silence. Miara smirked at Aiden once they neared Xylara's abode.

"Okay Aiden, let me go in first and ask for a meeting with Xylara. He's waiting for me to straighten up and so I'm going to put on a show that I have straightened up."

Aiden appeared to look panicked. He eyed the leers he was receiving from the common blue wolf folk. "What do I do in the meantime Miara? I can't exactly stay out here."

Miara smiled flirtatiously and motioned up to the roof of a small pagoda-looking house. "Relax Superman. All you gotta do is climb to the third level and watch from one of the windows. That's Xylara's keep and if he is going to meet with me..that's where he will do it. Wait at least three minutes before coming inside, or at least wait until Xylara smacks me."

Aiden nodded as he watched Miara step up the step and ask for Xylara's presence. She was let into Xylara's abode without too much trouble.

Once Miara had disappeared, Aiden looked at the pagoda and decided to try clearing the first floor roof before anything. He leapt up and surprisingly, landed on all four feet rather easily. He had even managed to keep it quiet so no one inside the abode heard him. He looked up to the second floor and leapt up to that level and gazed through a window to see several cages. Several beasts of all sizes were caged. Of all them, he saw a brilliant chestnut brown cub in one of the smaller cages.

"Meena!" Aiden saw the cub and the two of them met eyes.

Meena's eyes filled with tears the size of materia. "Aiden!!" She yowled and Aiden promptly shushed her and crept into the room through a window. He looked down at his tiny sister and smiled.

"It is me Meena," Aiden spoke and slashed at the cage, causing the cage door to bend off its hinges. This released Meena from the cage and she promptly latched onto Aiden's right leg, sobbing large tears.

Aiden told her to settle down and lifted her scruff into his mouth and crept out of the second story window. He gazed at the third floor and calculated how to reach the thinner balcony. He leapt up with ease and placed Meena down.

"You can't talk Meena! Your life depends on this guy in here getting killed. Miara is cornering him for me. You have to sit out here until I return out here and pick you up to take you home. You need to remain quiet until I return!"

Meena nodded and Aiden watched through the window until he saw Xylara smack Miara across the room, knocking her out. Once Miara's body skid across the floor to the window Aiden saw this as his opportunity and leapt through the window and let out a mighty howl as he lunged at Xylara with his claws sheathed open.

Xylara's ears curled back as he saw Aiden leaping at him. His first instinct was to swing at Aiden and he did, but Aiden lunged his massive paw and latched onto it with his teeth.

"Who are you that you have a bone to pick with me boy?!" Xylara swatted Aiden away with his other front paw. He was successful in getting Aiden off of his paw and Aiden slid across the floor and was about to join Miara when he slipped back onto his feet.

"My name is not something of your concern Xylara..I want you to release my mate here."

"Miara.." Xylara looked down at Miara and laughed a little, "Miara is your mate?"

"Yes." Aiden replied glaring at Xylara with hard eyes. "She is no longer yours."

Xylara's eyebrows descended on his forehead and he snarled, "Over my dead body she will be yours my youngling. You see, Miara is under my supervision by order of her daddy."

"But Maynard is not here to protect her either." Aiden argued.

"Which is why he left her with me tough guy. Even so, she is expectant. You don't want to be bringing impure blood into your tribe now do you?? Think responsibly here my boy." Xylara gazed down at Miara who was starting to come to.

"Stop speaking to me as though I'm your son!" Aiden growled and jumped onto Xylara.

Xylara hadn't expected him to be so strong and was knocked down so he was underneath Aiden. Aiden took the opportunity and pressed his paw back against the strong Alpha's chest.

"Release my sister too you sick son of a—"

"Oh please take the little runt I don't want her!"

"Release Meena and surrender Miara to me and we have a deal." Aiden snarled.

"You can have Meena. But Miara…like I said, over my dead body." Xylara's eyes flared the exact same way that Maynard's had always when Aiden was little.

Aiden's eyes flared as well and he snapped. "So be it then."

The fight was short. Aiden already having overpowered Xylara, he just unsheathed his claws and jabbed them into Xylara's chest before Xylara had any chance to bear arms against him.

Xylara wheezed and his eyes narrowed on Aiden, "You don't know whom you're dealing with young Sanjiv. Kill me; and something far greater and much worse will overtake your little puny tribe. There is something far worse coming, I can assure you of that."

Aiden's red eyes flared again as he snarled, "Bring it on!"

The seconds of Aiden shoving his claws deeper into Xylara's flesh dragged on…and on. Xylara, with the last of his strength shoved his back legs from Aiden's chest down to his stomach. The claws of Xylara were twice the size of Aiden's and gave a harsher burn to Aiden as it happened.

"You have just sealed your tribe's nasty fate."

After that last push, Xylara felt numb. Aiden's angry eyes seethed as he glared at that beast. The beast that had taken his sister and his girlfriend as well as knocking his girlfriend around was now laying limp on the ground. He stared down at the corpse and saw Miara's brilliant eyes open.

Without Aiden's knowledge however, Meena had watched the whole fight. Blood, guts, and everything about it danced around in her memory. Even scarier was seeing Aiden's angry eyes as he fought. She had never seen Aiden look so strong.

Aiden leaned in to the limp Xylara and grabbed the large anklets and bracelets that Xylara had cuffed around his feet and slid them onto his own feet. He felt absolutely mighty in the new braces on his feet. It was customary of Sanjiv's to sport the jewelry of those whom they defeated if they were of some great importance.

"Aiden!!" Miara's eyes opened and she sat up and got up to see Aiden looking at her with a relaxed smile on his face.

Miara romped over to Aiden and rubbed her face on his side affectionately.

"You did it! You did it Aiden!!"

Aiden smirked and rubbed his face on hers for a second, but then saw Meena's bright eyes at the window and decided, "Come on Miara. I've gotta go home."

Aiden walked over to the windowsill and crept outside of it to see Meena cowering at his feet with big eyes. He grabbed Meena by the scruff of her neck and whisped off of the pagoda balcony to a nearby cliff side, which led out of the site of the tribe without being noticed by the tribe itself.

Miara followed Aiden and they scurried down the cliff side towards the open area where grass grew. He knew they weren't too far from the Canyon once they reached the red-sanded area.

The two of them ran right into someone whom they definitely weren't expecting to run into also. Aiden blindsided his father and mother while Miara rammed Nanaki a few feet back into the red sand.

Meena was rammed out of Aiden's mouth and landed on her mother's face. Nanaki shook off all the dust that he had collected on his fur and scampered over to Aiden with tears in his eyes.

"AIDEN!! I thought you were.." Nanaki sniffed Aiden all over to make sure it wasn't just a dream.

"Were what?" Aiden smirked, "C'mon Nanaki. I'm best at what I do. I'm a regular Alpha now."

Seto sat up and shook himself off and smiled a large smile of pride. "Aiden..I've gotta say I'm impressed."

Aiden had certainly grown since Seto had last seen him. Aiden looked like an actual adult and perfectly capable of handling intense situations. He was old enough to be trusted with the Sanjivs.

Aiden's cheeked flushed as he listened to his father speak about him looking grown up.

Nanaki could certainly see Aiden had grown up with this little journey of his. Meena on the other hand was sobbing into Hoshiko's fur, swearing she would never try to leave the Canyon. She'd learned her lesson.

Nanaki smiled and started to walk back to the Canyon, a sense of relief soothing over the back of his spine.

As Seto's family began to head back towards the Canyon, Miara timidly asked, "Aiden…?"

Aiden froze, motioning Seto to look over in the direction of Miara, "Oh dad?"

Seto turned to Miara and evaluated her for only a second before turning around and replying, "Miara..I expelled you for a reason."

"I'm not with my father sir! I promise my father is not with me and not coming back." Miara cowered down and bowed towards Seto, showing her alligence.

Seto appeared to be intrigued and rolled his eyes, "What happened to your father?"

"He left me with the Grand Imperial Tribe sir. They mistreat—"

"Females. I know." Seto replied and he rolled his eyes and turned around.

"Dad, Miara helped me out in getting Meena back. She's good." Aiden whispered sharply.

Seto looked down and shook his head slowly, "As you wish Aiden. I will not stand in your way if you believe she is your mate."

"She is father. I would do anything for her!" Aiden snapped with courage.

Seto shook his head and walked back without saying anything apart from "Come Hoshiko, Meena, Nanaki..I need to leave Aiden alone with his mate so they can discuss some things…"

Nanaki followed without hesitation as did Hoshiko, carrying Meena in her mouth.

Aiden was left there in the meadows with Miara, but they both decided to follow Seto as well. The two of them were unaware of the little bright eyes spying on them from above.

* * *

Author's notes: Well folks, there you have it! Chapter 10! I've been waiting to write this one and I hope it was worth the wait for you all. I have worked hard on it. Sorry in advance if it seems a little long. I had to finish the whole Regrasor episode before I got in a rut and I figured if I didn't end it now then it would end up being massively drawn out. I'm going to try to put out Chapter 11 within the next month as I absolutely won't be able to put it out during the Spring semester. Go Review now folks! No flames though. I can't believe Quirky Rikku is the only faithful one whom reviews now, but it's okay. Thanks so much for your encouragement Rikku! Hope you all are having a good holiday season! Take care!!

--RedKennypuppy


	11. Deception and Disgrace

Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy VII, it's characters or landscape. I am just using them for a fan fiction and I will in no way shape or form attempt at marketing them. I would prefer that if anyone wants to use my characters that they ask my permission though. I have asked permission from Frank Verdosa to use Nipala in my fan fiction and have been granted permission.

Chapter 11: Deception and Disgrace

Nanaki had noticed things around the Canyon returning to normal. Aiden wasn't sneaking off to see Miara as she now resided with them. Meena had grown up and was still as dainty as she had been as a cub. Malon had learned to talk in a few sentences, and it usually consisted of "Lon" and then either "good" or "bad". Having a conversation with Malon was usually useless.

Nanaki himself noticed he had grown bigger and was shocked that he was almost as big as his mother. His short stubby claws had turned into large claws and his legs had become much more toned from climbing and exploring (since he was now allowed to leave the Canyon). He had also received another feather to his headdress for being honest with his parents and telling them where he knew Aiden and Meena were. His two-feathered headdress didn't mean anything to Aiden's fifteen, but he was ecstatic to see a change from just one lopsided feather.

Nanaki sat up to see Miara rolling back and forth in what looked to be pain. Aiden was sleeping soundly and ignoring her.

Nanaki sat up and shook his fur of all the dust and awakened his brother as he yawned very loudly. He stretched his legs out and then his back legs and romped over to where Miara lay.

"You okay Miara?" he asked.

Miara gave Nanaki a weak smile. "Yeah.."

Aiden looked up to check on Miara. "Miara. You okay?"

Miara rolled her eyes and stood up and left the Canyon with a stumbling walk.

Both Nanaki and Aiden exchanged glances and Aiden smiled, "I'll go talk with her. She seems a little bit uh…under the weather." Aiden laughed a nervous laugh as her left after Miara.

"No kidding.." Nanaki muttered. He walked off of his sleeping area and up to the highest point of the Canyon. He hadn't been up there since he went there with his father. He hadn't had any desire to go up there, but today was different.

In only a few days, Aiden would be dubbed the equivalent of an Alpha Male. This was a day that had always lived in infamy with Nanaki. He had been dreading the day Aiden would become Alpha simply because he wasn't sure if Aiden would be able to handle all the new found power.

None had inquired about Aiden's bracelets that he wore, which in itself seemed fishy to Nanaki. The pack had resumed its normalities. Not even inquiring anything about Aiden and Meena's adventure that had happened at least six months ago.

Nanaki finally reached the tip of the Canyon's cliff and nearly tripped over another being who was there.

"Ow!" came the squeak from the ground. It was Meena.

Nanaki looked down to see Meena sitting there with a disgusted type look on her face. "Nanaki! Get offa me!"

Nanaki stepped back and looked down at Meena, "What're you doing out this early?"

"I'm waiting." Meena replied.

Nanaki's eyes narrowed, "Waiting…for what?"

"Miara's looking like she's gonna pop any second and I know once she does, she'll knock Aiden's chances of being Alpha Male for sure." Meena spoke proudly.

"Pop?" Nanaki's eyes shifted with a jolt of shock.

"Yeah she—" Meena began to talk but turned around and held her paw up to cover her mouth while her eyes grew large.

"She what Meena?"

"Nothing." Meena smiled nervously and tried to shuffle past her brother.

Nanaki swatted her back, "Meena, what's up with Miara?"

"She's pregnant." Meena giggled, and looked up at Nanaki.

"Pregnant? Expecting cubs? Are you kidding?!" Nanaki hissed at her.

Meena shook her head nervously, "I swear Nanaki, and it's all true! Xylara told Aiden just before Aiden—" she covered her mouth with her paw again.

Nanaki brushed her paw away from her mouth and asked, "What?"

Meena's eyes watered, "Before Aiden killed him, Xylara said she was expecting."

"Who's Xylara?"

"It doesn't matter now, he's dead!" Meena hissed back at Nanaki and swatted at his face, "Aiden's bracelets…."

"No way."

Meena's eyes burst tears forth as she replied, "He killed Xylara and took his bracelets. That's where they come from! Even worse is that—"

This time Nanaki covered her mouth and dragged her off to Seto and shook him awake.

Seto opened one eye sleepily and saw Meena who appeared to have been crying, "What is it Nanaki?" he seemed impatient.

"Meena has something she would like to say to you."

Meena nervously shook as Nanaki nudged her towards Seto's paws. She looked up at Nanaki and inquired, "She does?"

"She does." Nanaki nodded and tapped her head and Seto's eyes opened wider as Nanaki strode out of the cave.

* * *

"You WHAT?!" Aiden's eyes flared as he and Miara spoke outside the Canyon grounds so that they would have privacy.

"I..I'm expecting cubs Aiden." Miara smiled happily and rubbed her head along Aiden's growing mane. "It's great news! I've got cubs on the way. They'll probably be around to see you be crowned Alpha.."

"No." Aiden shook his head and pushed Miara away with his big paws. "This can't be happening. I'm not supposed to be having cubs Miara. I'm supposed to be the full fledged Alpha before that can ever happen."

Miara's ears tilted back and hissed back at Aiden, "If you don't like it, I don't want to have them here. I'll have them on my own." She began to walk away as fast as her chubby tummy would allow.

"Where do you think you're going?!" Aiden growled.

"Away from here. My cubs and I will be fine by ourselves!" Miara hissed as she stormed away.

Aiden watched her walk away for a few more steps before he rushed to cut her off. He ended up in front of her and she looked up at him.

"Move." She snapped.

Aiden shook his head, "You're part of my pack Miara. The cubs are too. If you believe that you're mine..we'll make it work. I promise."

Miara smiled a weak smile as she noticed a large shadow on the ground.

The shadow began to get bigger as the whole large sun rose faster and higher into the sky. Both Aiden and Miara looked up to see a large body that they weren't expecting to see.

"Papa!" Miara's green eyes dilated in fear as Maynard jumped down and landed in between both Aiden and Miara. His eyes pasted to Miara as he looked at her.

"Hello Miara." Maynard smiled and licked the top of his head. "You've certainly..uhm.." Maynard eyed Miara's large belly, "grown since I left you with Xylara."

"Maynard..what're you doing here again?!" Aiden growled as Maynard turned to him.

Maynard smiled and growled as well, "Who are you to question me..." Maynard paused and looked Aiden up and down. He had the same eyes and ears as Hoshiko, yet his stance was eerily similar to Seto.

Aiden shook his short mane and continued to growl.

"Oh, Aiden. You've grown too." Maynard smirked and he tapped Aiden's head with his massive paws. Maynard's amiability was short lived as his fur bristled.

"I just wish you had told me that you had wanted my daughter before just going off and impregnating her!"

"I have not touched your daughter sir!" Aiden hissed back.

"If she is your mate there must be something with regards to her pregnancy that can be linked to you." Maynard snapped.

"You're not welcomed back!" came a voice from behind Aiden. Aiden turned to see Seto there with his claws unsheathed.

"Move along Maynard. Don't come back." Seto ordered and Maynard complied, walking away with an angry stomp.

Seto turned to Aiden, "I need to talk to you."

"Yes sir." Aiden dropped his head low and followed his dad and Miara started to follow as well, but only made it as far as her cave before being in such intense pain she had to retire.

Nanaki appeared in the cave and looked at Miara as she writhed in pain, "I know your secret Miara..and it's not right to force something like that onto Aiden."

"Oh shut your babbling mouth Nanaki…please." Miara hissed and turned to him to see he was eying her with disapproval.

"I won't let Aiden be forced to deal with that Miara."

"He won't have to deal with it Nanaki." Miara hissed back.

"I mean it Miara."

"Nanaki..please just let me explain."

Nanaki sat back and withheld his claws as Miara wheezed in frustration, "Nanaki..I intend to kill the cubs once I have them. They're not Aiden's. I don't want to cause a rift between Aiden and his responsibilities to the tribe."

"That's not a smart plan Miara," Nanaki shook his head, "give the cubs to me and I'll put them under Bugenhagen. You can watch them grow..but you won't have to raise them."

"What's the point Nanaki?! Your tribe will be obliterated now!"

"No it won't!"

"Maynard comes from the tribe that Aiden got that jewelry from. There's no chance your pack will survive against them! They're much too strong."

"With my father and Aiden as Alphas? Do you doubt us?"

Miara shook her head and shut her eyes, "It doesn't matter who the Alpha is. You were old enough to where you should be able to remember how my father works."

"But—" Nanaki started, but was interrupted by a maternal voice. He turned around to see Doeg, Miara's mother.

Nanaki's eyes bulged as he turned to her. "Doeg! What're you—"

"I'm a Sanjiv Nanaki. I remain with my tribe." Doeg snapped. She stepped in front of Miara to block Nanaki from coming any closer to her. "I believe it is now your time to exit my cave."

"But madam! I don't think you realize what trouble your daughter is in!"

Doeg's fur began to bristle and she shook her head. "I believe if you stay it will be you who is in trouble. Miara is my cub and I don't believe you have any higher say than me." She growled and her claws unsheathed which drove Nanaki away quickly.

Miara watched as Nanaki walked out of the cave towards the higher portion of the canyon. She looked down to the ground as the pain in her stomach intensified.

Doeg turned to Miara as she writhed in pain. She lifted her paw up and ran it along Miara's back soothingly. "Relax my child. Your father will be back for you."

Miara's eyes watered in anger and her fur bristled. "I don't want dad to come get me again. They were starving me there mom!"

Doeg's ears curled back and she growled at Miara, "You don't belong here Miara. Especially with cubs that aren't pure blood. You don't understand what you're doing here!"

"Aiden promised me everything would be okay!" Miara hissed.

"But Seto is still the Alpha Miara!" Doeg argued and swatted Miara's face, hoping to knock some sense into her.

Miara paused and listened for her mother to speak. She was partly right. Seto did not tolerate any outsiders in his tribe mainly because he wanted to keep his tribe's growth monitored. Bugenhagen was studying the Sanjivs to establish a knowledgeable account of a Sanjivs growth. Having an outsider cub would mess up their statistics as well as possibly make Seto nervous of a riot coming about.

Needless to say, each outsider cub was usually disposed of shortly after birth.

"As long as Seto is here, your cubs are in danger. The least you could do is give birth to the cubs outside of here and have your father take them to their father. If the cubs are born here you and the cubs both are in great danger." Doeg continued, "The best thing for you to do for your cubs is to give them to your father and then return to the Canyon. Aiden's still a child Miara, you can't be expecting him to become responsible at such a young age."

Miara sighed and stood up and looked at her mother. "I won't force something like that on Aiden if that's really what is undesirable…I don't want to become a nuisance."

Doeg rolled her eyes and moved out of the way, " 'Bout time you respect your elders."

Miara looked down. Was she really going to cause a large rift in the tribe if something like her having outsider cubs came to pass?

"I'll leave the canyon tonight."

She looked up at the sky as the sun came over to the halfway mark in the sky. She wondered if Aiden was getting the same sort of disgust remarks from his father about her being expecting outsider cubs.

* * *

"What were you doing outside the Canyon Aiden?" Seto growled at Aiden and eyed him with the paternal disgust he had shown whenever Aiden did something wrong.

"I was talking with Miara," Aiden's ears curled back and he looked up at his father, "She's going to be having cubs soon…and I don't know what I'm supposed to do."

"You're supposed to be coming to the point where you can think like an Alpha. You're not supposed to be seeking for my counsel Aiden." Seto argued.

"But—"

"I'm not going to tell you how to rule your tribe Aiden. All I'm going to say is avoid instances for confrontation with the Grand Imperial tribe at all costs. It is stupid to fight them."

"Yes sir." Aiden bowed his head in part reverence and part shame. He had already caused a reason for the Grand Imperial tribe to come after him, and now his father had decided to tell him it was a fool's duty to fight the Grand Imperial tribe.

As if having to deal with a possible burden of parenthood wasn't enough he had to now decide what he had to do as far as the whole tribe was concerned. No doubt the Grand Imperial tribe would come after what was rightfully theirs eventually.

"What is bothering you Aiden?" Seto's face shone with a parental concern that Aiden hadn't seen for a long time.

"It's just I've—" Aiden shook his head and looked up at Seto.

Seto stared back at him blankly. What could possibly be wrong with Aiden?

"I've..I've gotta go to hunt for SkeeSkees." Aiden shook himself off of what he thought was dust, but his coat was as clean as a whistle.

Seto noted this odd behavior and rushed back up to his cave to see Nanaki and Malon.

Malon was curled up in a corner sleeping soundly. Nanaki was sitting in the cave looking just as troubled as Aiden did.

"Nanaki!"

Nanaki's attention immediately snapped to his father as he rushed to Seto's side and sat down. "Yes sir?"

"I want you to go find your brother."

"But—" Nanaki was a little shocked at that statement. Aiden was never one that needed to be tracked down, much less tracked down by Nanaki.

"No questions Nanaki! He and I had a talk and I believe it upset him. He's probably running around the outside world right now and I don't want him to abandon me when he's supposed to be becoming Alpha very soon. Go find him!"

Nanaki's ears curled back and he rushed away from the cave and hurried towards the edge of the Canyon.

It wasn't very long after rushing from the edge of the Canyon that he came across Aiden whom wasn't walking very fast.

He rolled his eyes and called out to Aiden with a half howl.

Aiden's ears curled back to hear what was behind him and he turned his head to look up. Nanaki was standing on a rock above where he was.

"Go away Nanaki." Aiden's voice sounded very irritated and Nanaki noticed he began tromping faster and faster through the grass.

Nanaki jumped off the rock he was standing on and followed Aiden.

"Aiden, you've gotta come back to the tribe. We need you.."

"Why bother? Go home Nanaki! You belong there."

"As do you Alpha." Nanaki bowed his head as Aiden looked back at Nanaki.

"It doesn't matter Nanaki. I've already disgraced the tribe and now it's headed for even further destruction."

"What do you mean?"

"It doesn't matter Nanaki. You need to just go home. You don't belong here with me."

"Yes I do." Nanaki rushed towards Aiden and cut him off and growled. "You're not going to abandon the tribe after all you've fought for in getting it to where it is today!"

Aiden's eyes glared at Nanaki and he growled back at Nanaki. "Move out of my way Nanaki, or you will be moved."

"Be moved? What authority do you have over me now?! If you're not going to become Alpha you're no punishment for me!" Nanaki stood his ground and his tail began to wag furiously.

Aiden's massive paws unsheathed some lethal looking claws as Nanaki did as well.

Aiden got to Nanaki's face before Nanaki could even lift his paws up to strike. This didn't particularly surprise Nanaki in any way. The Alphas were always the fastest, smartest and strongest of the whole tribe.

Nanaki rushed for Aiden as he felt an intense pain coming from just below his left eye. He pushed with all his weight against Aiden's chest and knocked him to the ground with relative ease.

Aiden growled and knocked Nanaki off him with his back paws, scratching Nanaki's underside in the process.

Nanaki landed on the ground in a semi bloody heap and watched as Aiden walked over to him, standing over him looking fairly proud and intimidating. He took one claw and placed it point up against the underside of Nanaki's chin.

"Get out of my way."

Nanaki snarled at Aiden, "You're not gonna kill your own brother will you?"

"No," Aiden shook his head and a gracious smile came across his face as he pulled his claw back into its sheath and continued to walk, passing Nanaki by, "so's long as you go home." Aiden kept walking through the grass.

Nanaki lay there a few minutes as he recovered from his brawl with his brother. Aiden definitely had what it took to be an Alpha. Where was he going if he wasn't intending on abandoning the tribe?

* * *

Well folks, there you have it. Chapter 11! It's certainly much longer than I had originally anticipated. If you like it, tell me so by reviewing! If you don't like it, go vent about it in a journal of your own as I don't take kindly to flames. I'll probably post chapter 12 sometime soon, so keep an eye out! 


	12. A Secret For A Secret

Disclaimer: I don't own any part of Final Fantasy VII, I am just a fan. I have written permission from Frank Verdosa to use Nipala in this fanfic. Many of the other characters are my own creation and I'm hoping to keep it that way.

Chapter 12: A Secret for A Secret

The bushes rustled with a nervous shake. Someone was following Nanaki and wasn't particularly silent about it.

Nanaki had felt his strength begin to return to him and slid up onto his feet. He leaned down on his front feet and perched his back end high in the air. He let out a warning growl towards whatever beast chose to follow him so that it would think twice about its decision.

The bushes rustled again and he saw two ears perk up from the top of the bushes and he saw two eyes pop through them as well he cut back his growl and stared.

Was it Miara? No it couldn't be! She would have never been able to follow so fast when she was due to whelp in a few days coming.

"Mom?" Nanaki questioned the bushes and when no response came from the bushes he decided to abandon them and continue to follow Aiden to find out where he was going. Perhaps it had been a SkeeSkee and he was not going to pause from an important mission as getting his brother back.

A few seconds later, a loud roar came out from bushes and Nanaki heard a fast clawing of dirt clods and he rushed quickly away from the bushes as he saw a beast fast approaching his body.

Nanaki scrambled across the dirt in order to try to rush away from the beast, but he didn't get further than a few feet before he was plunged into the ground, which knocked the wind out of him.

He looked up to see a female Sanjiv's face above his, staring down at him with a cocky smirk that looked similar to Aiden's.

"Geez, you're slow. No wonder you're not the Alpha."

Nanaki sat up and pushed the female off of his back and once the dust cleared away, he could see a softer face than Aiden's. It was Nipala.

"Nipala!" Nanaki smiled at her to see she had grown tougher since he had last seen her.

Nipala bowed her head. "At your service my liege."

"Indeed," Nanaki nodded, "I thought you were kicked out of the tribe."

"Come on Nanaki," Nipala eyed him with a happy face, "you can't completely kick a Sanjiv out of the tribe unless they aren't a Sanjiv at all. Your mom covered for me saying it was just an honest novice mistake."

Nanaki was shocked. He had thought all this time that Seto had the final say in anything, but he had completely disregarded the fact that Hoshiko was an Alpha as well. It certainly illustrated that Hoshiko certainly was able to manipulate her mate.

"What are you doing outside the Canyon now Nanaki? It's getting a little late in the day and close to feeding time." Nipala smirked and gazed up towards the sky.

"Well, Seto sent me on a mission." Nanaki took note of the sun beginning to set through the sky and began walking in the paw-prints Aiden had left behind.

"A mission?" Nipala's eyes lit up and romped over to him, "Sounds fun! Can I come too?" She began to follow close to his right front leg.

Nanaki rolled his eyes and snapped his head around to face her as he replied flatly, "No."

"Why no?" Nipala's ears curled back and she paused and watched Nanaki walked on.

"Because it does not involve you." Nanaki snapped, not stopping to even give her involvement a second thought.

"But I'm a huntress!! You could use me!!" Nipala's eyes grew red and bore her claws and her tail whipped around quickly in figure eights.

Nanaki paused and turned to her, "How?!" He glared at Nipala through long brown hair that had grown so long that he had become accustomed to blowing it out of his eyes with a quick wisp of his breath upwards.

"Huntresses have dexterity and the ability to blend in with their environment. You'll need camouflage, won't you?" Nipala's ears slanted back up as she romped over to Nanaki with such jolliness that she seemed as though she were a juvenile. Clearly she wasn't.

"No." Nanaki replied and continued walking hoping Nipala would get the picture, but she continued to follow even still.

Nanaki rolled his eyes and turned to her and glared at her with such a sharp glare that Nipala's ears curled back again. He didn't even have to say anything, but continued walking and Nipala decided to not follow this time.

"What do you want me to tell your mom?"

"Tell her to speak with my dad." Nanaki snapped and tromped off down through the grass. He didn't want to fight his brother, but if it came down to getting him to return with that as his only tool, then he thought that it should be that way.

Nanaki followed the tall grass for quite awhile, but then quickly realized with the setting of the sun and emergence of the moon that he was not going to be able to find Aiden under just looking where the grass was parted. There were many things that could have possibly parted the grass.

He looked down towards the ground and squinted his eyes as he eased his nose down to the ground. He took in a big whiff of dirt as he inhaled and promptly pulled his head back up and shook it a bit. His head thrust foreword towards the ground as he sneezed which cast more dirt up into the air. He inhaled again and the process repeated three more consecutive times.

By this time, Nipala had appeared on a rock above him looking down at him.

Nanaki rolled his eyes, "You know, you don't exactly have the whole camouflage thing down if I can see you plain as day."

Nipala turned her head to the right and snapped, "I didn't know you had become a jerk like Aiden. So if you don't need my help fine."

"Fine." Nanaki replied as he tromped through the brush, pushing his nose to the ground to try scenting down Aiden.

He ruffed his nose around the ground and finally caught a smell of Aiden. It smelled like a sour fish.

Nanaki felt a rush of excitement as he caught Aiden's smell and dashed off into the brush while tilting his head back and howling loudly.

Aiden had been through that brush and moved in a rush. Nanaki kept running as long as Aiden's scent still rushed into his nostrils. He was going to get ahold of Aiden if it was the last thing he did.

* * *

Aiden shuffled around on his paws as he skid to a stop at the entrance of a cave. It didn't look particularly too inviting, but it was right by a waterfall, how bad could it be?

He felt his breath grow shallow as he started to walk through the cave and heard a quiet growl. Aiden's ears perked up almost instant and he looked towards the direction he thought he heard the growl come from.

He looked long enough to only feel his body be shoved down into a rocky ground by a massive paw and he watched as his bracelets he had earned from fighting Xylara were cast away from his paws he heaved himself up.

He couldn't see anyone so he called out, "Hello?"

From the darkness, two yellow eyes slid open and illuminated the darkness enough to where Aiden could see his bracelets discarded on the ground.

"Hello Aiden," came a deep voiced reply. The eyes narrowed as though looking Aiden up and down.

"Who…what are you?"

The eyes opened and a new object appeared. Several illuminated white teeth that could easily tear through a limb of Aiden if they wished to. "You don't recognize me? I thought you might at least have an idea."

The eyes opened wide and Aiden found it hard trying to catch his breath. The teeth moved upwards towards roof of the cave and let out a loud roar.

Aiden couldn't believe his eyes. Fire came spitting out of the teeth and the main flame spat out into little finger like extensions, which swirled the cave and came to rest on four pedestals at each region of the room. First to light was the North, then the East, South and last the West.

Once each pedestal was lit, the white teeth disappeared as a large gray beast appeared in front of him.

"Maynard?" Aiden's breath became much more shallow. His throat became dry and he found it hard to swallow, though he could still force himself to talk.

Maynard slid around the edges of the cave as though he were a runway model, placing an emphatic amount of weight on each foot as he stepped around the cave. He paused by the north pedestal and lowered his head, "In the flesh you see."

"What are you doing here? My father—"

"Banished me from the Canyon yes," Maynard's eyes flashed with anger, "but I have nowhere to go. Xylara has somehow miraculously disappeared from my tribe so I can't go back there, nor can I go to the Sanjivs. What am I supposed to do?"

Aiden felt his stomach twist. "You can still go back to the Grand Imperial Tribe can't you?"

"Not without my daughter!"

The word daughter echoed throughout the cavern causing it to shake.

Aiden felt his rear end begin to lose its strength as the shaking occurred and sat down to look up at Maynard.

"The thing is though, Miara would be killed if I took her back because as far as everyone knows over there Miara was the last to see Xylara alive." Maynard smirked and walked around the back of Aiden once the shaking had ceased.

Aiden felt his stomach tighten so much it felt like it was in a knot. He crouched down and his ears curled back against his head as Maynard eyed the bracelets on the ground.

Aiden's eyes dilated as Maynard walked over to the bracelets and picked one up and slid it onto his right front paw. "Funny thing though, I hear Xylara's dead and then I see you wearing his bracelets."

Aiden's tail curled under his rear end and Aiden pulled his paws over his eyes as he shook in fear. He just wanted Maynard to get to his point. He couldn't stand waiting in fear for what Maynard might do.

"Now, being an old Probation judge. I believe that Sanjiv tradition is that when someone or something of great power is slaughtered by a Sanjiv, the Sanjiv is to take the prized possession of their kill and wear it. This is correct right?"

Aiden nodded and looked down towards the ground. He just wanted to disappear.

"So," Maynard grinned a sinister grin as he glanced at the bracelets, "these are indeed Xylara's bracelets. Does that mean it is safe to assume you have killed Xylara?"

Aiden nodded.

"You killed Xylara? How on earth did you manage that?"

Aiden shook his head, "I killed him a few days ago. As far as how..I'm not exactly sure. I was in such a rage that I can't remember."

"Well well well, it appears that you've got yourself in a massive predicament here doesn't it? I know your little secret and you're here all alone after I have had a long day of not eating anything. It's so rare that bait comes strolling right into my door."

Aiden looked at Maynard and spoke up, "You're not going to kill me are you?"

Maynard shook his head and slid the bracelet back down to the ground from his right paw and looked at Aiden with a piercing glare, "No."

"Why not?"

"Because I'm going to need you to get what I want." Maynard smiled a sinister smile.

Aiden's eyes shook in fear and he replied, "Anything you want."

"You being the Alpha in training, I need you to take Miara's cubs from her after she has given birth and return them to me so that I may return them to my tribe and give their father what they rightfully deserve." Maynard smirked.

"He doesn't deserve the cubs because he didn't care for Miara!"

Maynard's eyes flashed with anger, "Do not talk back to me Aiden! You don't know the ways of the Grand Imperial Tribe. A female like Miara needed to learn how to be respectful of male superiors. She was disrespectful to her mate in that tribe, what's to stop her from being disrespectful to you once you're Alpha?"

Aiden froze as Maynard brought up a good point.

"Plus, if the cubs remain with you, they will most likely die because I know your father will pull rank and slaughter them." Maynard looked hard at Aiden as he watched more fear settle into his being.

"But the SkeeSkees are leaving the Canyon area…we could use two more cubs to hunt with us!" Aiden squirmed in agony.

"Do you believe your mother is that weak Aiden? She could handle the SkeeSkees if they were in abundance once again." Maynard laughed and then turned to Aiden, "Trust me Aiden, I could bring the SkeeSkees back."

"How can I trust you?!"

"I know what herded them out."

"What?" Aiden's eyes sparked with interest as Maynard smirked.

"A human named Professor Hojo. I have close contact with him. I can tell him to release the SkeeSkees for the tribe so that your tribe won't die out with you." Maynard walked up over to the northern pedestal and looked at Aiden again, "Have we a bargain?"

"What bargain?"

"You bring the cubs to me and I will release the SkeeSkees for your tribe."

"And what if I decide to not bring you the cubs?" Aiden could feel some courage coming back into his stomach and he stood up with his chest held high.

Maynard's yellow eyes glimmered as he unsheathed his claws and swatted at the pedestal, knocking it over into a lot of pieces, "Your secret comes out to the Grand Imperial tribe..and consider your tribe vanquished."

Aiden sighed and looked up at Maynard.

"Do I have your word?"

"Yes sir." Aiden nodded.

"You may go then. I will wait here until you bring me the cubs and then I will put word in for Hojo to release the SkeeSkees and you will prosper."

Aiden's eyes returned to normal from being dilated and he walked towards the bracelets and slid them onto his paws once again.

"Tell my daughter I wish her well." Maynard's eyes glowed and Aiden nodded and continued out into the brush where he found a dark night sky. The stars stared him down and he was thrilled to see no one was around.

Thankfully no one was around otherwise he would have been in deep..

Aiden's body slammed into the ground from the weight of something. He rolled over onto his back to face his opponent and show them who was boss. His eyes became shocked as he saw Nanaki looking down on him.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?!" Nanaki asked.

"What do you mean what am I doing? I'm exploring the realm of my rule Nanaki! Now get offa me!" Aiden fought with Nanaki's body, but Nanaki somehow had become much heavier than Aiden remembered last time he fought him.

Nanaki growled at Aiden and Aiden snarled back.

"I ought to kill you here and now!" Nanaki placed his unsheathed claws around Aiden's neck gently enough to evoke fear in Aiden.

"Or you could be smart and not kill me."

"What's to stop me Aiden?! You've just sold out the tribe!"

Aiden shook his head, "No I haven't!"

"Yes you have! The exiled are exiled for a reason Aiden!!"

"It doesn't matter Nanaki!"

"Would you rather I kill you now or take you home and have father be upset with you for what you've done!" Nanaki's eyes flared with an anger that Aiden had never seen before and was quite taken aback by.

"You have no idea what I did!"

"I was here long enough to see you make a promise with an exile! That's all that matters!"

"I just promised him I wouldn't come near him again. He's found himself a cave and I just needed somewhere to think!"

Nanaki's fury began to descend and Aiden could see it. So he continued with his story.

"I stumbled across him. He told me to leave him alone or next time he sees me he'll kill me. So I agreed!"

Nanaki eyed Aiden suspiciously and Aiden's expression didn't change. He had to not have been lying. If he had lied, his eyes would be wandering everywhere.

Nanaki's claws sheathed back into his toes and he got off of Aiden and snapped, "Come on, let's go home. Tomorrow's your big day and you've got to get plenty of sleep so you look nice.."

Nanaki slumped through the brush and Aiden followed him home. The walk home wasn't anything very exceptionally wonderous. Once they reached the Canyon, Aiden saw his family standing on the highest cliff by the entrance to their sleeping quarters.

Hoshiko stood next to Seto, both with large proud smiles on their faces. Meena and Malon both stood beneath Hoshiko's body, still clinging to their mother.

Nanaki turned to Aiden, "I hope I heard wrong and you didn't sell out the tribe for your own good. If that's the case, you might as well kiss all this goodbye." Nanaki lifted his paw and motioned with to his family up on those clefts with proud smiles.

Aiden nodded, "Yes Nanaki."

Out of a lower cave came a white furred Sanjiv. Aiden turned to the cave to see it was Miara. She romped over to him rubbed her face along Aiden's neck lovingly.

"I'm glad you're home."

Aiden's face grew warm and he remarked, "I'm glad to see you're well."

* * *

Well there you have it folks! Go R&R..please! I've been working hard to get this done, and I'm feeling very accomplished that I'm getting this done very fast. I've got at least 8 more chapter left so we'll see how it turns out.

RedKennypuppy


	13. All For the Alpha!

Disclaimer: I don't own FF7. Never have, never will. I do claim ownership of my own characters I have constructed. Mainly because I have gone ahead and put my heart and soul into creating them. Please respect my wishes and ask me if you wish to use them. Anyway….Ah the long awaited 13th Chapter of Specimen Alpha has come to be! It's not exactly as long as I would have liked, but alas! It will have to do! I hope you all enjoy it! Thank you BadMajik for your encouraging review. It certainly kind of brought me back into the jumpstart. Enjoy folks!

Chapter 13: All For The Alpha

Aiden awakened to a soft cry in the cave he was living in. He sat up quickly and dashed towards where he was hearing the cry. It had to have been Miara. He reached the area where Miara was resting. As luck would have it, she was tossing and turning around in her sleep.

Aiden sat down by her and waited for her to awaken. He smiled down at her and looked up to see Nanaki staring him down, sitting on the other side of her.

Aiden gasped as Nanaki's face scared him.

"Nana..Nanaki!" Aiden lifted his right paw and smacked Nanaki down, casting him across the floor till he landed on Nipala's front paws.

"Geez Aiden." Nanaki sat up and shook his head. He had woken up Nipala as well.

"Nanaki, you need to quit playing during the early morning." Nipala griped as she sat up and shook her head off of all the dust.

"It's all Aiden's fault." Nanaki motioned towards Aiden and when he looked over he saw Aiden's head perched on Miara's neck with tears coming from his eyes.

"Nanaki, just hush up. Miara's sick."

Nipala laughed and stuck her tongue out, "Of course she's sick! She looks like she's about ready to pop at any second."

Miara's eyes opened and she turned to Aiden and nuzzled his face with her nose.

"Miara, you're awake!"

Miara smiled, "Yes Aiden, I am. But I don't think you should be concerned for me. I'm fine. I just need some rest. You on the other hand.."

Aiden interrupted, "You're gonna be having pups Miara! You can't tell me not to worry about you. It just happens that way."

Miara turned to Nanaki and smiled, "Could you do me a favor and get your brother ready for his ceremony tonight?"

Nanaki nodded and walked over to Aiden, "Come on Aiden, let's get you ready for the night." He nudged Aiden's front legs with his front right paw and Aiden growled a little. His growl was caught by Miara.

"Aiden, stop it!" Miara hissed at him as he turned around.

Nipala romped over to Miara, "You think you'll be able to be around for Aiden's ceremony tonight?"

Miara looked back up at Nipala with a gentle smile, "I hope so..I know it means a lot to Aiden that I be there, but I don't know. After the last ceremony I went to, you never know."

Nipala nodded in mute agreement. She remembered the last ceremony gave ignition to Aiden and Nanaki's desire for dominance. The actions at the ceremony also ignited Seto's consideration for expelling Miara and Maynard.

"You don't think Nanaki and Aiden will misbehave again do you?" Nipala asked.

"Not Aiden. He's grown up since he came to save me." Miara smiled, "He'll just become much more caring for the tribe and not for himself."

Nipala nodded once again and stretched her legs out, "Nanaki probably won't misbehave. He's grown up a lot to in the two years you've been gone. In fact, he seems like he's a balanced mix between Seto and Hoshiko."

"Yeah," Miara agreed and laid back down and stretched her paws across the ground, "I'm just glad Aiden has come back. I thought he would indeed abandon the tribe…and me."

"Yeah," Nipala agreed and unsheathed her claws as Hoshiko sat up and began rushing towards the door,

Hoshiko reached the entrance of the cave and turned back to see Nipala, "You coming on the hunt?"

Nipala's eyes grew wide. Hoshiko was going out to hunt on a day when her son was going to be deemed an Alpha. "You're hunting?"

Hoshiko nodded, and rushed out of the cave.

Nipala took that action as a Yes and decided she had better follow Hoshiko as well. It was early in the morning and they would at least have a nice share of morning mist to camouflage into.

Hoshiko dashed down the cliffs of the Canyon with incredible ease and landed on her feet at the edge of the Canyon. Charging after her was the mass populus of female Sanjivs trailing behind her. Upon reaching the edge of the Canyon she turned to her huntresses and spoke.

"Tonight is Aiden's night and so I want everyone to come and be well fed. Those under Kalle go as far as Gongaga. Those under me will explore as far as the Sugar Falls and those under Madea will be going as far as the Golden coast. Find as many SkeeSkees as you can hold in your mouth!"

The three factions split up and Hoshiko dashed to the eastern side past the Canyon's entrance. All the females followed her without much question. They didn't dare test Hoshiko out.

Aiden's eyes bulged to the size of a cub as he watched Hoshiko sprint to the east.

Nanaki noticed this, but didn't really take a large note of it. Instead, he asked, "You wanting to go hunting with them Aiden?"

Aiden turned to Nanaki, looking absolutely insulted "No."

"Then why are you staring?" Nanaki asked.

"Well, don't you find it a bit odd that they're spreading so far out?" Aiden argued, standing upright with a cocky look on his face.

Nanaki shrugged and walked on ahead of Aiden while countering with "If the SkeeSkees are that far away I see no reason why it'd be odd. There is a festival tonight you know. Festivals entail quite a large amount of eating. Seto said that after his Alpha ceremony the tribe went for three to four days without needing to hunt. They had so much food budgeted that they didn't have a need for it."

Aiden shook his head and followed Nanaki, "Yeah, except that was back when SkeeSkees crawled the Planet like water. The scarcity now is putting our tribe at odds with others because we're invading their borders to find food." Aiden rolled his eyes.

Nanaki paused.

"There's nothing to the East though, except the mountains."

Aiden hissed back at his brother, "And mountain tribes!"

Nanaki's eyes sparked with anger as he was taken aback, "Like what?! Bugenhagen said there are no tribes there because"

"BUGEN IS WRONG!" Aiden hissed back at Nanaki. He tromped towards the entrance to Miara's mothers cave. Doeg was the only Sanjiv who had extensive knowledge of the paining needed for a tribal festival, including for the Alpha Male.

Doeg was sleeping, but at the clinking of Aiden't bracelets she opened her eyes. "Aiden…" She stood up and stretched her front legs out, then the back and continued, "I hadn't expected you until the end of the hunt. I was just getting ready to--"

"Will you tribalize his face Doeg?" Nanaki interrupted.

"I have to participate in the—"

"The huntresses have already taken leave." Aiden informed.

Doeg's eyes grew large, "Well…nice of them to tell me." She snarked back.

"My mom didn't tell you because she wanted you to do his tribal outfit." Nanaki informed as Doeg rummaged through her watered down sands.

"Well I suppose I am one of the greater Sanjivs to ask." She rolled her eyes.

"Of course. That's why we came to you," Aiden acknowledged, and added,  
"We also came here by request of your daughter."

Doeg's eyes narrowed and she cast a glare of death towards Aiden, "I have no daughter."

Nanaki and Aiden both were hardly surprised by her reaction. If a cub had been exiled, customs were considered dead or to have never existed.

"But she's about to have cubs…" Aiden persisted.

"I have no children Aiden. My child…and love for my mate were lost on the same day." Doeg walked behind Aiden and nudged him with her nose, causing him to collapse onto his rear end.

"If your daughter and mate being exiled made them dead to you, why has dad accepted Miara back?" Aiden asked.

Nanaki rolled his eyes, "I don't know, it's not like Seto to change to different customs."

"Maybe it's some sort of test." Aiden smirked.

"A test?" Nanaki half laughed as Doeg began to dig a hole in the ground. "Aiden, you and I both know we are not outside of the laws and customs in our tribe! You of all Sanjivs should know! You were tied up and left for public humiliation."

Aiden rolled his eyes, "I know Nanaki, but Seto is acting suspiciously."

"I think the only one acting suspicious here is you Aiden!" Nanaki growled and his hackles slid up. The very thought that Aiden would ever consider Seto guilty of treason was ludicrous. Sure, Nanaki had felt distant from Seto and all, but he knew his father had to be doing something right, or thinking of some greater good.

"Then why do your hackles slide up and yet mine do not?" Aiden's voice had become relatively calm, as did his body posture. His ears framed his face nicely and his nose did not twitch apart from the edges of his nostrils, which expanded ever so slightly and slowly. His tail remained planted on the ground and did not look as though it were tense. It swished the ground in the dirt every few seconds.

Doeg turned to Nanaki and Aiden, "Boys please, I cannot do my work if you two are going to kill each other."

Nanaki let out one last snarl and turned his back to Aiden and replied, "I apologize madam. I will be back with his cloak in awhile along with the guards." Nanaki understated as he stepped outside.

"Make sure you find dad as well. I should very much like to speak with him." Aiden added.

Nanaki heaved himself up the clefts of the Canyon and was surprised to see Meena walking towards the edge of the canyon.

"Meena! What're you doing?" Nanaki asked.

Meena turned around and stared at Nanaki from the edge of the Canyon. Her eyes were big and bugged out. She had a look that made a deer in the headlight seem like an understatement.

"Nothing Nanaki. Just going looking for mom."

"Why aren't you watching over Malon?" Nanaki asked.

"Malon is old enough to where she doesn't need to follow along my paws." Meena growled.

"Meena please, think of what you're saying. Malon is still a pup." Nanaki reasoned.

Meena rolled her eyes and looked longingly at the grass beyond the Canyon. "I wanted to go out and see the world Nanaki."

"Meena, you're not even old enough to attend the hunts, it's highly unlikely you're old enough to go outside the Canyon by yourself…especially after what Seto heard about you and the Regrasors. They're not going to take too kindly to a new female walking around by herself."

Meena rolled her eyes again and stared back at him, "What're you gonna do? Tattle?"

Nanaki looked down and stared at Meena, "You can't go out there Meena. It's Aiden's big day! He's gonna be the Alpha!"

"No he's not Nanaki! The second Miara has those pups he's not gonna be an Alpha anymore." Meena stomped her paws down on the ground so that the red sand covered her pale fur and made her appear darker.

A loud yowl came from the Canyon walls and Nanaki was shocked to see Seto appearing outside the cave with Malon in his teeth. He leaned his head down and roared, "Meena!"

Meena's ears curved back and she turned back to Seto, "What?"

"Get back up here and do as I asked!" Seto bellowed. He looked at Nanaki as he placed his paws on top of Malon's tail when she tried to romp off the edge of the cleft they were standing on.

Meena sneered back at Seto, but didn't dare try to anger him. Seto was probably having several other important things to do before he could allow Aiden to become the Alpha. There was a lot of assessment involved, or so they said.

Once Meena reached the cleft with Nanaki she swatted him frustratedly with her tail. Nanaki stuck his tongue out and said, "You're lucky you didn't get in trouble."

Seto handed Malon off to Meena and spoke, "Nanaki, you and Meena can take Malon to Bugenhagen for a few hours. Your mom should be back early tonight." After saying that, he lept up to the northern clefts and into the cave where he ruled the high counsel.

Nanaki and Meena both agreed and walked up more towards Bugenhagen's observatory. Nanaki remembered the time he tried to follow Seto to Bugen's observatory and ended up urinating in fright when his dad caught him.

Meena opened the door to Bugen's observatory and slid in. She had such a tiny petite frame it was hard for Nanaki to think of the days when she had been a pup like Malon and could hardly talk at all.

Bugen was floating about the observatory appearing uneasy.

Nanaki and Meena noticed Bugen's apparent uneasiness, but while Meena dismissed it, Nanaki asked.

"Bugen, what's wrong?"

Bugen looked down at Malon and smiled a grandpa look and petted her ears until she purred. "Nothing my children, I just have a very sinking feeling about tonight."

"Nothing can happen tonight Bugen. I mean, Aiden will become the Alpha, but really that's it."

"I just feel nervous for Miara and her cubs inside her." Bugen sighed, "Your father said she left her mate in the Regrasor Tribe and came back here against his desire. Something like that could mean absolute peril for our tribe if anyone made the connection."

"But Bugen—"

"The Regrasors operate with the Grand Imperial Tribe, they are a force to be reckoned with." Bugen pulled his hand off of Malon's ears and she whimpered.

Nanaki felt his heart stop for a moment.

"Does that mean Miara…"

"Miara is the only one who was in that tribe right?" Bugen shifted his weight.

Nanaki found it troubling that Bugen was displaying signs of dismay. In times when he had been in real trouble, Bugen had always remained calm. The fact that Bugen was uneasy just spelled trouble all around.

"I think so." Miara nodded, "I was there and he just grabbed Miara and I and left."

Bugen's eyes relaxed and he smiled, "Well then my children, you might as well rest. It is a lavish party tonight after all."

With that, Meena and Nanaki curled up on opposite sides of the room and fell asleep.

It was late sunset when they woke up. Nanaki saw the afternoon sun crawling towards the edge of the horizon and dashed out of the observatory. He had to find the guards for Aiden.

As Nanaki passed through the door, he noticed the guards were already waiting outside of their living cave. Nanaki crossed in front of them and smirked, "C'mon, let's go find Aiden!"

The guards grumbled and followed thunderously towards Doeg's cave where Aiden was.

Aiden turned around to see the guards and smirked at Nanaki, "You got the guards Nanaki! I didn't think you would."

Nanaki mock bowed, "All for the Alpha.."

Aiden nodded briefly and he walked over to his brother and walked beside him as the two of them, plus the two guards walked down towards the Cosmo Flame.

Once they reached the Cosmo flame, there was a loud howl coming from the cave.

Aiden was shocked and his ears skewed back, "That's Miara Nanaki. It's Miara."

"Just ignore her. You've got the tribe to worry about."

"Forget the tribe Nanaki! If I don't care for her there might as well not be any tribe." Aiden snapped.

"Funny," Nanaki sighed irritably, "I'd expect something of more maturity to leak out of the Alpha's mouth don't you think?"

The yowls continued into the evening, and Nanaki noticed Aiden was becoming more and more tense. While he had appeared so cool in the early morning, his body was rigid. His hackles came up and his tail slipped between his legs everytime a yowl resonated from Miara's cave.

"Where're mom and dad?" Aiden asked, his claws digging at the earth in intensity.

"They'll come. Just gotta wait for everyone else." Nanaki smirked.

"I need to be somewhere." Aiden walked about anxiously.

"At Miara's bedside? Think rationally Aiden. She can probably handle herself."

"No she can't Nanaki! She's a female!" Aiden's ears skewed all the way back to the point where it looked as though he had no ears at all.

Seto and Hoshiko finally appeared at the Cosmo Flame to meet Aiden.

"Hello my son." Seto smiled, "I'm glad to see you here."

"Hello." Aiden straightened up his posture and sat still, though his ears remained fixated in the direction of Miara's cries.

Nanaki smirked as he watched everyone return to the Cosmo flame with happy eyes. Everyone looked so happy. They seemed so thrilled to see a new emerging Alpha to turn to whenever they had problems.

"Let the Festival of the Alpha begin!" Seto declared, looking up at the sky as it darkened.

And with his declaration the whole tribe went into a nirvana like uproar. They were howling, scuffling, play biting and dancing about in an otherwise crazy frenzy about the Cosmo Flame.

Aiden felt his throat tighten as he saw a shadow in the clefts of the Canyon and approaching Miara's cave.

Maynard had come back to claim something that he had wanted as part of their deal.

Aiden felt his legs get much more tense as he watched as Maynard creeped into the cave opening. He couldn't leave the festival. It was his special night! But if he was the Alpha, wasn't he the one who headed up the festival anyway?

Nanaki looked back at Aiden and noticed his hackles flying up nervously.

What did he have to be so nervous about?


	14. This is Your End

Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy VII and probably never will. I do not claim any marketability for this story, the characters or the atmosphere in which they interact. If anyone wishes to use my characters though, I would greatly appreciate it if they asked for permission as well. Nipala is used with permission from Frank Verdosa. I have an email to prove it. Thank you so much keeper of the precepts for reviewing my story and asking that I continue with it. It gave me a great amount of push to finish this. So here is is, chapter 14..and it's really long. I hope it can satiate you all until I get a chance to write another chapter. So, without further adieu..

Speciman Alpha

Chapter 14: This is Your End

He didn't surprise her. She had been expecting him all along. She felt her stomach tense up quickly and she yowled as it persisted.

The shadow in the cave opening remained stationary. He didn't dare take steps any further. A soft hum was heard from him and while she welcomed it as a cub she had outgrown the whine that begged for peace.

Her insides knotted and she reached out to the sand with her claws unsheathed. The sand stuck to her paws like an annoying, itchy adhesive. For a moment, and only for a moment, she wished she was back on the lavish rugs of the Regrasors.

Her tail waved back and forth as though to fan her burning body, but it was a futile effort. She imagined, for a moment, the tail functioning as a blade, which could frighten the shadowy intruder away.

The shadow saw this tail and her writhing body and took a step closer. The hum resonated louder and then raised into a slight whine.

She shuffled her body back against the wall and raised her hackles up. Her ears skewed back as her lip curled. Perhaps her fangs would scare the intruder.

No change.

The shadow took another step.

She growled.

It whined.

Growl.

Whine.

Her growl wasn't working. She would have to actually threaten him. Her growl continued, but instead adding to the barrage of sound within the cave she snapped at the air.

The action did not frighten him, and he took another step closer.

She snapped again.

He took another step. His head leaned down towards the sand and he sniffed it cautiously. His own tail wagged back.

He was scared. She had finally frightened him.

She cast an iron glare at the shadow and noticed he didn't move. His ears were still pointed towards her. He wasn't scared after all.

He lifted his head up and matched her glare with his own.

She snapped at the air again, but he took another step.

Feeling trapped, she decided she best stand up and show him she wasn't afraid. She heaved her body up and it churned as she pushed herself up.

He took another step.

She licked her fangs and growled.

Her took another step.

Her stomach twisted and she felt her insides lurch. Her legs buckled and her body collapsed to the ground once again. She let out a loud howl as she hit the dust on the ground, letting her shadowy intruder know she had surrendered.

"You can't scare your own dad Miara."

"What do you want?"

"Why, to witness the birth of some cubs, of course."

"Go away," she growled, "I know what you did."

"Oh really? What did I do Miara?" Maynard leaned his head down and gave her a glare which cast a shiver down her spine.

She could not even reply.

"Huh? Come on now Miara, tell me what I did!" Maynard raised his paw towards her and she shook her head.

Silence.

His paw sat poised above her nose and she felt her stomach lurch once more. The pain made her howl and her ears skewed back once again.

He let his paw down and smirked, "That's right Miara. I did not do anything outside of what any good father would do."

He stepped away from her for a second and she felt her body regain a sort of strength that he had sapped away just by looking at her.

"Good father? A good father doesn't leave his cub in a place she doesn't know." She growled back at him as he turned his back.

He paused for a moment and turned only his head to face her. She had never seen him look so menacing as he appeared. His mane was nearly black and his fur was a close match. His teeth of bright white cast a sparkle in the midst of any light.

"And a good daughter does not mosey around with a tribe she does not belong to." He snapped back.

"I do too belong here!" Miara's body trembled as she spoke.

"Oh really? How? Are those Aiden's pups you're carrying?" He shoved his nose down into her stomach like an arrowhead when he spoke Aiden's name.

"No." She heaved back and moved her feet around furiously, trying to relief his stabbing nose from its prodding poke.

"Well then, I suppose you're in a sticky spot huh?" He lifted his nose only briefly. The brief moment offered her a chance to snap. He saw her head come forward and drew back.

Her fangs latched onto the air once again and as she withdrew her head she let out another growl.

"It's not a sticky spot! They'll look the same—"

"Yeah, the same as you and your mate from the other tribe."

He stepped over towards her hindquarters and leaned down to sniff it.

Miara turned to his face and kicked it with her back legs.

Maynard drew back and rubbed his nose with his left paw.

"Get out." She ordered.

"Fine, I'll be going then." Maynard's shoulders tensed. He turned back around and began walking away once again. As he turned his back he could hear the whimpering of new cubs resonate through the air.

He turned his head over his shoulder and could see that Miara had indeed given birth to two cubs. Both were black. After seeing them both he left the cave and rushed up the Canyon's clefts. He had to return to his cave before anyone had seen him. He had to wait for his puppet to bring the cubs to him.

--

"You know you're an Alpha when the whole tribe dances around the Cosmo flame like SkeeSkees for you." Aiden smirked at his brother as they both laid off to the side of the Cosmo Flame. All of the tribe members had become drunk off the moonlight, or at least that's what Seto had called it. In their inebriation they all weaved in and out of each other while surrounding the Cosmo Flame.

"No, you know you're the Alpha when mom and dad are letting us both drink up the dragonfruit juice without any moderation." Nanaki smiled back at Aiden, pausing from lapping up the bittersweet nectar of the Canyon's dragon fruit juice.

"You know, I think I'm going to like this whole Alpha business. It doesn't seem like so much pressure anymore. I'm beginning to enjoy it." Aiden's shoulders were relaxed and his tail whisped along the ground very slowly and lazily, creating crescent shaped sand impressions.

"Aiden you're not even fully Alpha yet. Whatever 'stress' you claim this job has is something you're imagining, because Seto still deals with the big business."

"Seto doesn't know the extent of what he does though. I can see what's coming and it's going to get very scary around here if Seto continues with his rule."

"You can't do away with Seto, Aiden. He's your mentor."

"Mentor shmentor. Listen Nanaki, there's good decisions and then there's bad ones. I'd like to think I'm old enough to distinguish between the two."

"Fine Aiden, but Seto has a broader perspective than you do—"

"No. He has no idea what the future holds."

"Neither do you!"

"Yes I do. I can tell you right now things are headed for a desolate end."

Nanaki rolled his eyes and responded sarcastically, "And what needs to be done to fix it oh Great One?"

Aiden's fur began to bristle and he let out a growl.

Nanaki giggled at Aiden's reaction, "Aiden, being Alpha doesn't make you ruler of the Planet. The Planet can still govern herself."

"Not with humans running around. I may not be ruler of the Planet, but I will be such a good Alpha that I swear not a single pack member will pass away. I'll be so mighty that I'll be able to protect every single member."

"Come back down from that pedastol Aiden. It'll do you some good."

"I'm not having delusions of grandeur brother! I killed the Alpha Male of the Regrasors, one of the most feared tribes around this area!"

"Okay Aiden, relax. You don't need to let everyone know it." Nanaki held up a paw as Aiden began to stand up, all four legs of his were tense and his tail was stiffly pointing up to the night sky.

"No, let everyone else know. They might as well." Aiden snapped at Nanaki's paw and the whole mass of pack mates who were drunk off the moonlight sobered up and stopped their physical expression of sheer joy.

"My fellow Sanjivs," Aiden's voice, though not vocally dynamic, hooked every Sanjiv's eyes and ear as long as it spread through the air, "my first promise to you all is that I will be able to protect each and everyone of you. I swear not a single one of you or your loved ones will pass away while I am Alpha."

Seto, who had been relatively quiet throughout the ceremony, suddenly stood up, "Aiden, I think it's time you chased some sheep into slumber."

"Oh, so you think I'm a lunatic too dad?" Aiden spat back at Seto and the citizens of the tribe all became restless.

Seto turned a smile to the crowd and spoke once again, "Ignore that command my friends, my son is just inebriated."

Upon Seto's soothing words reaching their ears, they resumed their weaving in joy around the Cosmo flame. Seto walked over towards Aiden and Nanaki with very relaxed steps.

Once Seto's face was within speaking distance, Nanaki and Aiden's ears both skewed back. Nanaki hung his head down and Aiden stared straight into Seto's eyes.

"Son, what in the Planet's name has gotten into your head? Being Alpha does not automatically make you a god." Seto's voice was quiet, but sharp as a stalagmite.

"I can do it dad."

"Don't call me 'dad'. My son would know better than to speak of such outlandish things, and in front of your mother and I. What kind of impression do you think this puts on your two younger sisters?"

Aiden opened his mouth to speak, but before he could, Seto stole the air out of his mouth.

"Aiden, think logistically about what you're saying. I, myself, have had seven pack members dies while I have been Alpha. The Planet beckons some beings faster than others."

"I would think my first order of business being Alpha should be to establish something they can latch on to."

"No, your first order of business is to learn, then execute based on your knowledge. Don't make promises you can't keep."

"But I can keep this promise."

"No you can't Aiden," Seto snapped, "come back to reality where things are not invinsible."

"What dad? I'm basically invinsible. I mean, I slaughtered—"

Nanaki shoved a paw up over his brother's mouth before he could finish, "Just ignore him Seto."

Seto shook his head and looked at the ground, "This ceremony is for your brother Nanaki, but I'm afraid he's probably better off just getting a good night's sleep."

Nanaki nodded and Seto turned back around. He walked back off towards Hoshiko and sat down beside her.

Once Seto was out of earshot, Aiden shoved Nanaki's paw off of his mouth. "What the hell was that for?"

"You need to just go sleep the clouds away from your head."

"And you need to stay the hell out of my damn business. It's not you who got appointed to Alpha anyway so what the hell do you care what I do?"

"I want the best for you Aiden."

"Then do me a favor and don't get in my way." Aiden's once so relaxed body now resembled a statue. His limbs moved up and down with a pattern like a robot as he climbed up the clefts to Miara's den.

Upon his tail entering the cave, Nanaki heard a howl. It belonged to Aiden.

Nanaki rushed up the clefts towards Miara's cave and was surprised at the sight. Miara laid asleep. Her fur was dusty, but beside her stomach were two black cubs, both of them males.

"Miara had her cubs already?" Nanaki spoke while Aiden just stared.

The noise from Nanaki's voice rose Miara from her slumber. Her eyes slid open and she smiled at Aiden as her ears skewed backwards.

"Nanaki, can you give Aiden and I some privacy?" Miara's voice shook a little as she addressed Nanaki.

Aiden shook his head, "Nonsense Miara, there's no need for that. Nanaki can meet my boys."

Nanaki's eyes bulged, "Your boys?"

"Yes brother. They are my sons." Aiden lifted a paw and stroked the backs of the two black cubs with it.

"But Aiden, it's not possible."

"Yes it is. I saved Miara and she is my female. Therefore, her cubs are mine."

Nanaki walked up to the cubs quietly and rolled his eyes as he picked one up in his mouth. The black ball of fluff squealed as he was lifted away from his mother's fur.

He took a few steps away towards the entrance of the cave, "Well Aiden, if they are yours then let's show the whole tribe your new sons. Seto would be glad to have more tribe members."

Nanaki placed the cub down on the ground and nudged the little one with his nose to trigger him to roll over. The cub obeyed with little fight. Once he saw the cubs face he noticed something different.

When Malon had been born, she had no teeth at all, and her eyes had not even begun to open. Bugen had claimed it was part of the Sanjiv genes to not have open eyes or teeth. Their nose was always first and then it was their ears.

Miara's cub had dark slit brown eyes staring Nanaki down with a dominant attitude. Underneath his lips were two protruding white canine teeth, similar to a saber tooth tiger which Nanaki had read about in books. Its ears were erect and skewing every which way to gather a better understanding of its surroundings.

"Aiden, I think I'm going to take these cubs to Bugen." Nanaki said.

Miara sat up and growled at Nanaki. Did he already know her secret?

Aiden shook his head, "Absolutely not. The cubs need their mother. They're basically dependant on her."

"Aiden, look at this. This cub is not dependant on anyone. He's already got canines coming in, open eyes and erect ears. He needs no one."

"Then why do you need to take him to Bugen if he doesn't need anyone?"

"Well Bugen can at least clean them up so they're not sucking in placenta." Nanaki snapped back.

Aiden stared Nanaki down. Their eyes locked like honing devices, and stayed locked for a long time.

When a whimper was heard from the cub Nanaki had taken, Nanaki turned his head away.

Aiden jumped at the chance and charged his brother into the walls of the cave, causing the whole cave to rumble.

Crushed between Aiden's sternum and the rocky cave walls, Nanaki let out a loud howl. The howl led to a silhouette of Seto and Hoshiko appearing at the cave's entrance.

"Aiden, what are you doing?" Seto's voice was low and raspy. He sounded much older than he was.

Aiden pulled his body away from crushing Nanaki and glared at him, "Father, he was trying to take away my Alpha status."

Nanaki rolled his eyes, "Like hell I was. He was the one who wanted to stare me down."

"Because he was going to take the cubs away from Miara." Aiden added.

Miara growled at the sound of her name and rushed to pick up the cub Nanaki had taken from her.

Hoshiko turned to Nanaki, "Son, what are you thinking? You know how dependant cubs are."

"Those cubs are completely independent mother!" Nanaki argued.

Miara growled loudly at the many guests in her cave, which she had only wanted to hold her two cubs and her newly dubbed Alpha Male. Not all these other house guests.

Silence. All the Sanjivs turned their heads toward Miara as she placed the cub down by its brother and laid down beside them both.

"I would like to speak to Aiden alone please. If you don't mind." She practically hissed at the three Alphas.

Seto rolled his eyes, "Alone you wish? Fine, alone you will get."

After he spoke, both he and Hoshiko walked over the cubs and picked them up in their mouths. Nanaki looked at Miara and smiled a less than genuine smile, "They'll be at Bugen's if you need them."

The three Sanjivs left the cave and headed up the clefts, higher and higher until they came to Bugen's house. They slid through the Sanjiv door with ease and caught Bugen by surprise.

Seto dropped the cub onto Bugen's kitchen floor and Hoshiko followed his example.

Bugen stumbled into the kitchen and placed some glasses onto his head, "Shouldn't you all be out celebrating Aiden's big night?"

"We were Bugen…until Aiden became a little too mature too quick." Seto replied.

"We found these cubs in the cave where Aiden has decided to stay since his return with Miara."

"If you think they're Sanjiv cubs I have to say you must be mistaken." Bugen said, grabbing one cub by the scruff of its neck and picking it up. He pointed to the canines sprouting past its lip and sighed, "See these? Canines don't develop on Sanjivs until after at least two years of age."

The cub squealed and let out a growl.

"And much more, growling is not a trait Sanjivs develop until they're around two years old. Are you sure Miara had these cubs?"

"Positive." Hoshiko replied, "she's got the mindful eye that I've seen on any other beast when its nurturing young."

Seto looked down, "Then that means she's bringing these cubs into our tribe to destroy us."

"Now wait one second Seto," Nanaki started to speak.

"Hush your mouth," Seto hissed, "I suppose I've now got the responsibility of getting rid of those cubs."

"That's what I believe was the custom of your father," Bugen replied and placed the cubs down.

"Seto no, they were just born! You can't do that to Miara." Nanaki argued.

"I can, and I must." Seto grumbled as he began stepping off towards the door, "or maybe I won't have to. My son is an Alpha after all."

"Dad, no. You can't do that! That's wrong!" Nanaki spoke up again.

"It is not Nanaki! He will have to deal with it when I am gone anyway. It's best he learn to divorce his feelings." After that statement, Seto slid out the door.

Hoshiko turned to Bugen, "Father, care for the pups. I'm leaving them here with you because I trust you know best."

Aiden sat down by Miara and licked the top of her head. She growled at Aiden in return.

"They took my cubs away," she grumbled.

"You mean our cubs," Aiden said.

"No Aiden, those are my cubs," Miara stood up and paced back and forth, "they're all a bunch of liars. They've probably already killed the boys already."

"They can't do that without my approval," Aiden smiled, trying to calm Miara down.

"Yes they can, you're not really the Alpha," Miara snapped back.

"Yes I am Miara. Gosh, have you been in la la land this whole night? That's what this night was for!" Aiden argued.

"Well, if you were really an Alpha, you would get up and do something about it." Her teeth began to show as she curled her lips at him.

"What do you want me to do?"

"Go there and pick up Shyam and Darach!"

"Who are they?"

"The boys. You claim you're such a mighty Alpha Aiden, go and prove to me that you are and get those boys out of the human's arms!" Miara's fur bristled and she sneered at Aiden as she spoke.

Aiden huffed and stomped out of the cave, and made his way up towards Bugen's house. On his way up the clefts he met noses with Seto, Hoshiko and Nanaki.

"Son, can I speak to you?" Seto asked.

"Can this wait?" he replied.

"No, it's about your sons," Seto lifted a paw and dragged Aiden aside while Nanaki continued walking.

Nanaki turned back to Hoshiko, "That's not fair of him to push such an issue on Aiden so early."

"The life of an Alpha is not always easy Nanaki," Hoshiko sighed, "Seto has had to kill his share of cubs for the wellbeing of our tribe."

"But those cubs pose no threat mom! I mean, sure, they're not Sanjivs, but in the long run, how bad can it be if we satisfy Miara's mothering desires and give her her cubs."

"Two male cubs Nanaki can lead to quite a bit of trouble. You, of all Sanjivs, should know that since you and your brother were a formidable team when you were younger."

"So if they were female we keep them, is that it?"

"Nanaki, I don't appreciate your tone. Why don't you just go ahead and head off to the den. Maybe a night of rest will bring you to your senses."

Nanaki rolled his eyes and headed off to the den and shoved sand off into the entrance. The cloud of dust flew lazily through the air and over towards his mother, who was just walking by at that moment.

"You'll understand one of these days Nanaki. It makes more sense when you're older."

Nanaki huffed. He circled a spot in the dirt. Once he finished three complete circles he laid down in a ball and sighed a large sigh before going to sleep.

--

The morning sun came too quickly. Accompanying the morning sun was an annoying push on Nanaki's legs.

The red Sanjiv opened only one eye to see who would dare disturb his slumber.

"Good morning brother," Aiden smiled at Nanaki.

"Good morning is an oxymoron. Especially when you're smiling at me," Nanaki grumbled and shut the one eye, hoping the slumber would return seamlessly.

Aiden pushed at Nanaki's legs again and he was more forceful.

Nanaki sighed and stood up and shook his fur free of the sand.

"What do you want?" Nanaki grumbled.

"I can't say good morning to my beloved brother?" Aiden smiled again.

"What do you want Aiden?"

"Come with me. Don't say a word, don't ask why. Just come with me." Aiden whispered.

Nanaki stood up, "Aiden, remember last time you woke me up?"

"Yeah, and I took care of it."

"Your charm can only go so far." Nanaki rolled his eyes.

"What do you want Nanaki?"

"I want to know where we're going."

"Somewhere familiar. Now follow me."

Aiden rushed out of the cave and Nanaki followed him. The sky wasn't sunny yet. It had several hues of purple and blue mixed with a large splotch of pink. Nanaki followed Aiden up to Bugen's house and sighed.

"Aiden—"

"Shhh!"

On the floor or the kitchen, sat one large metal cage. On the floor of the cage was shredded up newpaper. The two black cubs were huddled next to each other. Nanaki sighed.

"Aiden, you can't!"

"Shut your mouth and grab a cub!"

Nanaki rolled his eyes and leaned his nose down and picked a cub up by the scruff of its neck.

"You listen to me, if the cubs stay here I'm supposed to execute them today, but if there are no cubs to execute then they won't be executed. At the very least I won't have to execute them. So, follow me and I'll show you a safe place where they can stay."

Before Nanaki could protest, Aiden had already leaned his face into the cage. He grabbed the other cub by the scruff of its neck. It yelped, but it was not loud enough to cause Bugen to wake up.

The two Sanjivs slid out of the door and rushed down the rock clefts of the Canyon until they reached the grass. They sprinted across the grass, farther and farther away from the Canyon until there was nothing to be seen in any direction.

Nanaki tasted a salty liquid in his mouth and sat down in the grass.

Aiden paused for a moment glared down Nanaki.

Nanaki placed the cub down in the grass and coughed.

Cough. Cough. Cough, and then came the vomit.

Aiden placed his cub down in the grass, "Are you done yet?"

"That bastard peed in my mouth Aiden. I think I deserve a little more sympathy than that." Nanaki growled.

"If you're done let's get going. We've got to get back before Hoshiko sends out the packs."

They both picked up the cubs in their mouths once more and walked until they came to a river.

The new environment made Nanaki nervous, but Aiden's fur wasn't showing any bit of a shudder. They walked along the riverbank and the sun began to ascend into the sky. The two Sanjivs continued through the grass until Aiden led to a dark cave.

Even with the sun shining on the Planet, Nanaki did not see any light slide down the rocks which surrounded the cave Aiden had led them to.

They entered and Aiden placed the cub down. Nanaki followed his example.

"Aiden, how is this safe?"

"It's where they should be." Aiden replied.

"They should be with Miara Aiden."

"No brother, this is where they need to be."

"A dark cave that's abandoned is nowhere for a cub to be Aiden."

Aiden ignored Nanaki and saw yellow eyes in the distant dark.

"Good job," came a deep voice reply.

"Let's go." Aiden ordered.

The two Sanjivs rushed out of the cave ran down the riverbank.

"Brother, I trust you will not tell dad about this."

"About what?"

"That was Maynard in there. He demanded I give the cubs to him and he'll help us out."

"You don't think he'll actually help us out will he?"

"I don't care at this point. It'd save me from having to get my paws dirty."

--

The morning sky was a beautiful shade of yellow for the muted eyes of the Regrasors. In the realm where Xylara had once slept, Tygrxy slept in a mostly undisturbed slumber.

A loud crash sounded, which raised the new Alpha to his feet.

He growled and rushed down to the door of his realm. On his rug was a dark gray beast, just as large as he.

"Who are you?"

"An old friend," the beast replied.

As Tygrxy approached, his memory returned to him and the slumber slipped away. "Maynard?"

The beast nodded.

"Welcome back old friend." Tygrxy smiled, but saw Maynard's expression not change at all from grim expression.

"I'm afraid I have no good news for you friend," Maynard replied.

--

Well there you have it folks, there's my next chapter. I think this is quite possibly the longest chapter I've written for this story so I'm feeling relatively accomplished. As of right now, writing another chapter probably won't be happening for the rest of the summer, unless I happen to have a massive span of time which I can use it for. Please review this chapter without flames. Thank you all so much!

RedKennypuppy


	15. Getting Down to Business

Disclaimer: I don't own FF7. Never will…unless it's in dreams. Nipala is used with permission from Frank Verdosa and all the other characters in here are my own creation. I would also like to offer up a major thank you to Vriell the Black Knight for the review. I deeply appreciate it. Without further adieu..

Speciman Alpha

Chapter 15: Get Down to Business

Two furry gray cubs laid on the ground. Maynard had laid them down for Tyrgxy. The Regrasor Alpha shook his head, when he saw it. Perhaps this was his way of giving his friend a gift.

"What is this Maynard? Is this your version of a sick joke?" the Alpha snarled as he paced around the two cubs.

They laid still, their eyes shut and their nostrils motionless.

"This is not a sick joke Tyrgxy," Maynard replied, "I do not joke about death."

"Neither do I, but you know what this means," Tyrgxy lifted one paw and batted at the cubs's lifeless bodies, trying to shake life back into them.

"I know the name of their attacker," Maynard stated.

"But is it worth it to go to war with them? Even if I do win against this attacker it won't change the fact that these cubs are dead."

"Such cowardice I would not expect to hear from an Alpha," Maynard grumbled. He turned away from Tyrgxy and took two steps before he heard a growl come from behind him.

"You want a war. Is that it Maynard?"

"No," Maynard turned his head back and looked Tyrgxy straight in the eye, "I would just expect a better reaction."

"Well there's not much I can do. Do you have any idea how many deaths I see in a typical day? If I declared war on every being or force which destroyed my kind I would be fighting one at every end of the Planet. Dead cubs are not grounds for war!"

"Dead cubs in general, no. But your cubs I would think would be."

Tyrgxy's eyes sparked with a glint of what Maynard could say was his warrior spirit, "My cubs? You mean Miara—"

Maynard nodding slowly cut off the spoken words.

"These came from Miara? But her and I…" Tyrgxy closed his mouth and looked down at the cubs once again. They did have the same fur color as him, but their noses reminded him of Miara, there were sleek and long, elegant looking even.

Maynard watched as Tyrgxy's muscles stiffened. His claws slid out of their sheathes and then retracted back in. He still was not sold on the idea of a war.

"Maynard, how old are these two? Are there others?" the Alpha asked.

Maynard's tail whipped at the air and he growled, "What is taking you so long to make up your mind?"

Tyrgxy's front paws slammed into the ground, but the action failed to scare Maynard, "Don't push my decisions Maynard, and just answer the questions."

"Both of them are all, and I'm pretty sure they're less than a day old. Not one more is left. Are you happy?"

"No, such an attitude is not okay when talking to me. As far as I can tell you have nothing to grieve over. You have not lost your only heirs. You still have Miara!"

Maynard snapped at the air and let out a loud growl, "Those cubs are part of my blood too Tyrgxy. I brought them to you so that we could exact revenge on their attacker. If you don't wish for revenge though, then my time is better spent elsewhere." Maynard turned to face the exit once more.

"Elsewhere? Like where? What could you possibly have to do?" Tyrgxy barked back.

Maynard turned his head back around to face Tyrgxy once more, "It's like you said Tyrgxy, I still have Miara."

Maynard took two more steps and Tyrgxy sighed, "Okay."

The old Regrasor turned around and faced his newfound ally.

"We are just going to exact the wergild on the attacker. Nothing more as far as I can see it."

"That's enough for me." Maynard smiled.

"Now, what is this attackers name?"

"He's a Sanjiv and he's very young, perhaps around your age…maybe a year your junior."

"I asked for the name."

"Aiden."

"Aiden? Fiery one?"

"Don't let the name fool you. He's nothing you can't handle."

"Beings evolve into their names Maynard."

"And the longer you put off wergild on Aiden, the more time he has to evolve into the fiery one."

"So how exactly is this attack going to work?"

"I'll figure out a way," Maynard grinned, "I'll return to you once I have a plan."

"And what am I to do should Aiden attack before I am given ample opportunity to prepare?"

Maynard shook his head and turned to leave the dwelling, "That is for you to answer on your own Tyrgxy. I have to be back at my home now."

As Maynard exited the home of Tyrgxy, the grieving Regrasor turned back and gazed at the two cubs, "Why would Miara let the cubs be slaughtered?" he thought aloud.

"Shyam and Darach," Maynard's voice resonated through the entrance hall, "their names are Shyam and Darach."

--

The morning was colder than usual. Aiden did not see any females near him. Nanaki had no females near him either. Where had they gone? Aiden stood up and shook the dirt from his fur. Even Miara was missing, and she had never been permitted to go on the hunts. He felt his throat tighten and a whine escaped his mouth.

Nanaki's eyes opened, "Aiden just for once could you wake up not so flustered? You could wake up the whole tribe with your whining."

"The females are gone Nanaki."

"Yes Aiden, they usually are," Nanaki's eyes began to shut.

"But it's…I thought they didn't hunt for at least a week after the Alpha ceremony."

Nanaki's eyes bulged, "They don't." Suddenly the alarm bells sounds in Nanaki's head.

The two males rushed out of the cave with their throats tight and their voices whimpering. Outside the cave stood Seto, who was completely relaxed.

"Boys, why are you whimpering?" Seto's smile practically tinged Aiden with rage.

"The females are gone!" Aiden said.

"Yes child, they usually are."

"Don't mock me," Aiden snapped at the air, "Miara cannot even hunt."

"And didn't Nipala get in trouble last time they returned from the hunt?" Nanaki asked.

"Boys, relax." Seto's calm demeanor worked like a magic spell on Nanaki, but not Aiden.

"It's my responsibility to know where everyone is isn't it?" Aiden's fur rippled and shook.

"No Aiden, you're not burdened with that responsibility until I am gone."

"But that could be any day—"

"Look, if you want to know where the females are I'll show you."

Seto walked past the two of them and they followed him until they came across the grass. In the grass they could see various Sanjiv tails swishing in the air.

Much to Nanaki's surprise, Nipala was there.

"What are they doing?" Aiden asked.

"The females who have experience are showing the juveniles how to hunt. It's something they do every year. Your mother thought since the both of you would be busy doing other things that you wouldn't mind missing the females."

Nanaki smiled and rushed over towards Nipala, who was helping Meena learn how to hunt.

Aiden stood by Seto and watched as the females pounced around the field. "Where is Miara?"

"I saw her with Bugen earlier this morning."

Aiden's face flushed and he looked down.

"She seemed pretty upset. Bugen claimed he did not know where he cubs were." Seto continued.

Aiden turned his face away from Seto, and his father took note of it.

"You wouldn't have had anything to do with that would you?"

"I…it was for a good reason."

"Aiden, you can't keep this juvenile behavior up."

"It was for a good reason."

"That doesn't matter. Miara's situation with her cubs is best left up to Maynard."

"I gave them to Maynard."

"You did?"

"Yes. It was either that or our tribe would be starved out."

"Well don't tell everyone that."

"I'm sorry father."

"Don't worry about that Aiden. What is in the past does not matter. Right now is the only important factor."

"I screwed up, but I can fix it."

"Yes, but let us not worry about that. If you spend your time rehashing the past you make yourself vulnerable to enemies."

"I'm not vulnerable."

"Being the Alpha automatically makes you vulnerable Aiden. You can't be too overly confident or else—"

"I'm not confident. I'm just saying I can go to Maynard and ask for them back."

"No you can't."

"Why not?"

"I don't know if you remember Aiden but you're an Alpha Male; the highest in the hierarchy. You have to send out the Betas to negotiate."

"What Betas? I've never seen your Betas ever."

"That's because they are out there being diplomats."

"So…how do they hear from you where they need to go?"

"Bugenhagen."

"This is a dizzying job."

"You shouldn't worry about that. The point is being the Alpha Male is a vulnerable position. You can't just go outside of the Canyon because you feel like it. There are predators out there who are waiting in the grass to slaughter you."

At this remark Aiden smirked. Had Seto already become senile?

"Yeah, that may have happened back in your day dad, but it's not gonna happen to me."

"I mean it Aiden. The humans especially will get you."

Aiden turned around and began to walk back towards the Canyon.

"Now where are you going?"

"To my cave." Aiden grumbled.

"Why?"

Aiden didn't answer and continued walking.

"Aiden!"

Aiden turned to Seto and then continued walking. "I'm sorry, I thought in becoming an Alpha I would be able to be treated as adult." his voice was dripping with distain.

"You bite that sarcastic tongue of yours young Alpha!"

"You can bite _me_!"

--

"Stay still." she whispered.

"Okay. Stay still, gotcha." Nanaki whispered back as he and Nipala hid behind a grassy clearing in front of a stone cave. Meena had lost interest in hunting once Nanaki showed up and so Nipala had sent Meena over to Hoshiko to continue her training. Nipala needed a nice break from teaching as well and welcomed Nanaki's company.

A bird was resting on the light brown colored ground in front of the stone cave.

"Okay, on the count of three we jump."

Nanaki gazed at the bird and watched as Nipala counted.

"One."

The bird shook and its feathers fanned out.

"Two."

The feathers returned to its body.

"Three."

The two of them jumped over the grassy area and landed just in time to see the bird disappear. They would have laughed if the ground had not given way and groaned. Their paws sinking caught them both by surprise.

They stepped back and saw the ground rise, and a cough emerged form it.

"Stay back evil beast!" Nanaki commanded.

A face turned and stared at them. The look shocked them both. It was none other than Miara. Her body was covered in dirt and mud and her eyes had deep gray circles underneath them.

"Mi-Miara?" Nipala's voice shook a little.

"What in the Planet's name are you doing out here?" Nanaki asked.

"Me? I'm awaiting death." Miara answered. Her ears skewed back and tears welled up in her eyes.

"Oh Miara, don't talk like that." Nanaki smiled. He stepped forward and patted Miara with a friendly paw.

"Yeah, everything's good." Nipala added.

Miara's fur bristled, even though it was caked with mud and dirt she still was able to move it around. The reaction caused Nanaki to withdraw his paw.

"No, nothing is good. Everything is all wrong. I should have never left the Regrasors."

"Why?"

"Shyam and Darach…Tyrgxy has them."

"So why don't you go get them?"

"If I returned I'm as good as dead for leaving the tribe, and I'm as good as dead for letting my cubs out of my sight."

"But at least you could see the cubs one last time right?" Nipala was, even still, ever the optimist.

"No. Tyrgxy killed them," Miara sighed and a whimper escaped her lips, "my father told me he killed them and took them to be buried in their land."

"Well you at least deserve to see them. Come on, let's go find this Tyrgxy guy." Nipala smiled.

"Really?" Miara's ears perked up and Nanaki's skewed back.

"Uh, Nipala. Do you know what you're getting us into?"

"Oh Nanaki, quit worrying. We're not going to be gone too long." Nipala smiled and batted at Nanaki's leg with a paw.

"You think we can just safely trespass into their land Nipala?"

"If we have Miara we should be fine." Nipala replied.

"Okay, look, at the first sign of trouble just run and leave me to them." Miara suggested.

"And get into trouble with Aiden? I don't think so." Nanaki argued.

Miara tilted her head slightly and her face brightened up as she smiled a flirtatious smile, "Nanaki, come on, you know Aiden will come looking for me if I don't return by nightfall."

Nanaki sighed and rolled his eyes, "Okay fine, but I'm not going to fight for you."

"That's why I said at the first sign of trouble you two can bail and leave me." Miara explained.

The three of them began walking and walked until the grass's green tint was traded in for a light yellow color. The texture was not as pleasant as they green grass surrounding the color.

"What is this stuff? Straw?" Nanaki asked, lifting his paws up from the spiky texture.

"It's grass," Miara replied, "the Regrasors don't need fertile land."

As they stepped across the dead grass, Miara's ears perked up. She paused for a moment and glanced about the horizon.

"What's wrong?" Nipala asked, stopping her tracks as well.

"You guys should—"

An ambush of three blue wolves interrupted Miara's statement. One lunged for Nipala and the other two, for Nanaki.

One pulled at Nanaki's back right leg with a tight grip. As the teeth clenched hard at his leg he felt a second set of jaws hold tight to his front right leg. The two jaws pulled at their legs and the pull knocked Nanaki onto his left side, exposing his stomach easily.

The one that lunged for Nipala subdued her with little trouble.

Once Miara saw the wolf had subdued Nipala, she rolled over and offered her stomach to them.

"You can take your fake submission to the Alpha, doll face." Nipala's predator smirked.

"Fine…me and my friends."

"You and your friends?" another Regrasor laughed.

"Yes!" Miara growled.

Nanaki's eyes shut and his predators walked over to Miara.

"What makes you think you're so special? Tyrgxy doesn't grant an audience to scum.," one snapped.

"You tell him Miara wants to see him and he will grant an audience with me."

The three wolves stared at Miara for a long time before one finally spoke up.

"Okay baby cakes you come with us and we'll take you all to Tyrgxy."

--

Nanaki woke up in a hall that was lavishly decorated. He and Nipala were both in a cage, whereas Miara was not. She was standing on a plush rug and in front of her stood a steel gray colored wolf. To his right and left were two beasts that were exponentially bigger than he, but they did not prey on him.

'Body guards,' Nanaki rationalized.

"Miara, how nice of you to come back to me. Have you come to ask me for forgiveness for being insubordinate? Or perhaps you have come to build a new litter to replace the males which you let die." the steel colored wolf proceeded to walk towards Miara.

Miara sighed, "Please Tyrgxy, let the Sanjivs go. Your quarrel is with me, not them."

"Why should I? You're familiar with our customs Miara, I have two dead cubs at the paws of a Sanjiv and two live Sanjivs here who, under normal circumstances, would be on my feast plate. And maybe if I am lucky I have captured the one which I am looking for."

"Who?"

"That's none of your concern."

"Please Tyrgxy, have mercy on these two. They were only there with me as emotional support."

"What am I to gain for such graciousness Miara?" Tyrgxy spat back.

Miara looked down and gritted her teeth. There was only one way to convince him she meant what she said. As she had for the predators she rolled over onto her back, exposing her belly in an act of submission.

Tyrgxy watched and growled, "You can keep your submission to yourself. You shouldn't even be privileged with the task of bearing my cubs a second time." The Alpha turned back to the cage and stared at Nanaki and Nipala as they lay there.

"Let them go and they can send for who you are looking for." Miara continued to beg.

"Tyrgxy's ears skewed left and right and his head turned to Miara once again, "You have yourself a deal." The steel gray wolf lifted a paw and motioned to the two beasts that had stood at his side.

"Take Miara to the chambers."

The beasts both walked over towards Miara and escorted her to another doorway and shoved her into the room by way of massive paws from the beasts. The doorway disappeared as the door closed tight into it.

Once Miara was gone, Tyrgxy turned back to the cage.

"You two are Sanjivs."

"Yeah," Nanaki's voice was incredibly raspy.

"Okay," Tyrgxy turned to the beasts that had taken care of Miara, "take them out."

Nanaki felt the air slide around him. The beast had picked him up and the other had lifted up the knocked out Nipala.

Tyrgxy walked over to Nanaki and looked him in the eye, "I'm setting you free Sanjiv. Be warned that if you lay a claw in my territory once more you will not be as lucky," his mouth curved into a grin, "Take yourselves back to your home and tell Aiden I am ready for a challenge."

Nanaki nodded.

"Have I made myself clear Sanjiv?" Tyrgxy's eyes glared at Nanaki.

"C-crystal." Nanaki replied.

The beasts growled and Tyrgxy spoke to them, "Take them to the Cosmo Canyon. I want you back by dawn."

After that statement, Nanaki closed his eyes and wished as he inhaled shallow bits of air that Aiden know what he was doing.

--

Author's Notes: I didn't think it was possible, but time arrived where I could write another chapter for you guys! It's probably going to be awhile before I write another chapter. Days like this may be few and far between, but hopefully this chapter will hold you over until I get a chance to draft another chapter for you. If you get a free moment would you please review? Thanks!

--RedKennypuppy


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